Deleted Archive: The Feral Islands
by The Grey Coincidence
Summary: When the crew of the Horizon is captured by the feared Kucha tribe and forced to take part in the annual Rat Run on the Feral Islands, all hell breaks loose. The story follows a young fox kit as he tries to bear the weight of maturity on his back, while simultaneously trying to survive and just be the kit he is. Unsure of who to trust, and who might turn on him. In a world of death
1. My First Actual Prolougue

**A/N: I'm not going to lie to you. This story gets no points whatsoever for originality. The Kucha tribe are a tribe of lunatics obsessed with finding and killing worthy prey. They are basically Predators from The Predator series, only not aliens and not as advanced. The Rat Run, is essentially the Hunger Games with predators in them. So the hunger games. Secondly, most of the characters are OOCs from Legends of Awesomeness, the Kung Fu Panda show, essentially it's just me being lazy and not wanting to create even more OCs. The character personalities are more or less mine and that's the only kind of thing that I didn't really steal. The relationship's between the characters come from everywhere. Hunger Games, Gladiator, Disney's The Fox and the Hound, Lord of the Rings, pretty much everywhere and everything. So the idea, characters, relationships and plot is all kind of stolen from different sorts of media, with a minute bit of my own creativity. So Enjoy reading. By the way I promise that my chapters will be longer from here on in.**

 _Long ago in ancient china, where the emporor ruled supreme. Oh who am I kidding. Many many many years before the emporor ruled supreme, there was a problem. Creatures of all shapes and sizes were split into two groups. Those that pertained to the wild and kept their savage ways were called ferals. Mad they were, still are actually. No clothing, no sen_ se of love, of, hate _really it's just a bunch of hormones pent up inside an animal with no other way of releasing them. Some fed off of the land, the grass, the leaves, vegetation, plants and such, others fed on such creatures. Some lived on both. Eventually however China changed forever. Civilisation came forward. Houses, clothing, agriculture everything seemed to pop up out of seemingly nowhere, and the ferals gradually chqnged, changing from beasts of the wild to kings of the world. Everything advanced, West and East were divided almost completely, with practically no hope of reaching beyond your surrounding countries. And yet life was grand. All except in one minute place on this globe._

 _Once upon a time, there was a fox, he was but a kit at the time, but he was on the run for his life. For his family had stolen a valuable object from one of China's most powerful Lords. An egg. But not any egg. The egg of destiny. A dragon's egg. He had stolen a boat from the province of Fuijian, China's center of aquatic navigation, and was making his way over to Japan, when from out of the blue his ship was sunk. A huge creature from the unfathomed deapths of the ocean had pulled apart the boat, killing the crew and taking all of the kit's possession to the bottom of the waters._

 _Somehow, by a stroke of luck, the fox cub survived, his egg acting as the float that guided him to the security of the island. Or should I say islands? A series of floating rocks, covered in foliage, in deserted sands, in frozen mountains, tropical jungles and bygone forests, a volcano, a valley a river and finally a huge rock island cave, in the shape of a diamond, with only one secret point of entry, known only to the fox. The kit also found out that the creature's there were savages of the most brutal and barbaric of kinds. Eventually more people were washed ashore by the waters and water beasts of the after many numerous and long years, the turmoil ended, and the remaining survivors built a small village._

 _Many years later when the fox kit had grown into an old man, incapable of even twitching it's fingers the beasts had formed a close knit and powerful tribe. The Kucha, as they were known. And when he shrivelled up and died, like a crushed leaf, they retained their crude form of civiliztion but it was not to last. For soon the blood and flesh that they feasted upon gave them cruel hearts, and they began desiring more and more challenging kills, some that were smarter, more agile and cleverer. And when one ship wrecked they found what their hearts desired. Worthy prey. Every year the creature's searched far and wide, capturing sailors and forcing them to take part in an annual coming of age ceremony known simply as the Rat Run, wherein the tribe's younger members proved their worth. It is exactly a month before one of these events that our story begins._


	2. The Brief Death of Irwin

Irwin tripped over a root, but hurriedly picked himself up and continued running. He was madly excited he could barely keep it within himself. In a little while he would be free.

For a crocodile he was short, only about half the normal size.

He held one of the most precious jewels in China's history. Everyone had heard the stories of the Jit Kun, but everyone had believed them to be just that, stories. A tale about a village given magical abilities from a mixture of elrments and a magical gem. Really ? Most children had never believed the story. Buthere he was, holding one of the four. He had no idea of their names, but he knew that one granted something to do with wood, magic and wisdom. Another was power and fire, yet another was cold, water and snow. And finally earth, metal and heroism.

As a child he had dreamed of finding all four gems and uniting them. But even though he held one in his hands he felt no attraction for it. It gave him freedom, but it also doomed his friends. They had been mercenaries doing a job for the Imperial Army, as soon as they had blown up a Japanese cargo vault, destroying their supplies they had been allowed to leave. There had been a storm and the ship was driven off course, dragging itself to the cursed island of ferals. They would have sailed straight past the island, but something had somehow crushed it to pieces, leaving them stranded on the island where they had been locked away. He felt a glimmer of pity for all those that he had left to their deaths. But he could't really be held accountable for it.

He arrived at the designated location, where he was to meet alone and unarmed with Wall-eye, the crocodilian chief of the Kucha tribe. He was a gigantic monster of a beast. Not very big but wider than some doorways. Fat, tall, probably only two heads shorter than Chi, his giant camel accomplice, and mean. He was also the craziest of all the Kucha by a millenia. He wore no clothing under his waistline, nobody really looked down there for fear of retribution. He did wear a cape across his back and a piece of bone armour on his torso. Sometimes he also wore a skull on his head in the style of a fancy helmet.

"You're early", the chief commented. Irwin would have explained but the bigger crocodile merely waved his hand and began speaking. "You have the gem, good, now, the important part of your journey is here. Follow me". They walked a bit through the jungle, appearing at a valley, it looked deep and humongous, with a river tossing and churning down below. Wall-Eye pointed at where the river led. "This river begins at the volcano, and flows through towards the Isle of Lost. You must go to that Isle, you have been selected due to your small stature. You must leap into the river, and swim with it, into the tunnel over there, that tunnel will take you to the Isle of Lost to great freedom. You must find the hidden door without aid, and open it. Walk into the room and you will find three more doors. Knock on the center one and you will hear a riddle the answer is candle. The door will open. Walk in and lock the door behind will be waiting for you there waiting to make you free. Give him the crystal and then let him release you from your anxieties. Now go"!

Irwin eagerly leapt into the river, swimming as fast as his tail would allow him.

As soon as he was out of earshot Wall-Eye began laughing to himself. "Talk about dumb, I weep for the future, well not actually, it's their stupidity that allows me to enjoy myself. Old boy you've still got it". He said patting his belly. He could still feel the slight squirming of the live rat that had been his breakfast. That was one less competitor in the Rat Run and now he was certain that the leopard quintet would be victorious. It hadn't been easy convincing the rat's mother to let him eat her son, but times were hard, food was short, and they had to stop hunting for a while. Still the minute mammal had been quite a meal.

Irwin was tossed around and crashed throughout the long and winding cavern, his scales often scraping the walls, he was beginning to run out of air when he felt his face make contact with the air. He breathed. Taking in vast gulps of oxygen and filing his lungs as far as they would go. He dragged himself onto shore. He was so close now. Freedom was practically a reach away. If he could just survive a while longer. He ran and pushed open the door, it wasn't even hidden. There were three doors and he wondered briefly where the other two led, still he wasn't to care. He knocked on the door. Instantly a cold, reptilian and yet somehow cheerful voce came out.

"I am tall young, short old, my life is bright, and breath is my enemy".

"Candle". The door clicked open and Irwin shut it behind him, locking it just as the chief said. That move sealed his fate. He turned around and instantly had two claws sinking into his eyeballs. Screaming he tried to release himself as the claws touched lightly at his brain. He was turning madly, and then whatever had done that released him.

"Okey, hello prey, which hole shall seal your fate, no debate", he heard the reptilian voice say, now sounding delighted.

He wasn't sure what holes meant, but he ran as fast as he could as far as he could. But was pounced upon by something."You is bigger than normal. No problemo".

For the last few moments of his life Irwin knew not what was going on. He just felt himself getting compressed into a tiny, fatty and soft space, and then his head entered and the last air of his life left him. He didn't even manage to scream.


	3. The Story So Far

What was the meaning of life ? A question asked often by the wisest of mystics over the course of centuries. And yet one most people knew not of the answer. Saras hated his life. And yet was scared of death. Then again his life was a confusing pothole. He was one of two survivors of a Mongolian massacre. He was also currently living in an underground cave populated by bats. Under the careful guidance of an elderly female bat whom he plainly called mother, and the tutelage of an old vulture that appeared to be a living corpse. He was also a shape shifter, short distance teleporter and an amateur illusionist. Though his abilities were far from mastered. He was also currently working undercover for one of China's more obscure criminal organizations, probably because the name 'Bat Cave' struck fear only in the hearts of cowards. He was also only thirteen , an odd mixture to find anywhere in the world.

This had been his first mission for the Bat Cave. He would somehow find a way to get to Korea and gather information on what was going on over there. Who was dead and who was injured and who were still fighting, stuff like that. This information would then be sold to families so that they could understand further what was going on in the pitched battles between China and Japan, both attempting to seize control of Korea. The Imperial Army had not released this information yet, and therefore there would be riots all over China, allowing the perfect chance to rob the whole wasn't entirely sure why he was helping the organization rob their own countrymen, but he figured he owed the Bat Cave a couple of things. In fact the main reason he had actually agreed to going was the death of the 'mother' bat that had practically raised him earlier in the year. That had hit him hard, really hard. Then Daitui, the corpse like vulture, had been solely in charge of raising him. Daitui was probably the reason he and Aang had developed such deep understanding of their natural abilities. He was more of a teacher than an actual father. He wasn't exactly a bad teacher, but he always expected way too much from his students. So Saras had taken the first opportunity to leave. He had smuggled himself in a crate of supplies towards the dense zones of combat. He had managed to steal a list of dead and injured fighters, who were not allowed to write to home in case it led to something worse happening. Their was a saying Saras had heard. Those that go to war leave their lives behind them. He had left behind his ability to speak, for the injuries and gore he had seen had left him with a temporary stutter, which the Imperial Army healer had assured would disappear by the next month or so. The Imperial Army healer had also given him a one way ticket back to China.

He was currently sailing back to the relative safety of his home. Aboard the ship was another child. Bian Zao was four months his senior, and sailing back to the mainland with his father, the ships captain, Taotie who was also an amateur inventor. The whole ship was full of his inventions. The lower deck, which was where he and Bian Zao slept on opposing hammocks, consisted of traps and cages of varying shapes and sizes. The upper deck was full of weapons and other such machines. A spear that launched an arrow out of it's shaft and a mace that looked threatening but was really just a giant smoke bomb, and other such random and crazy creations were littered around the place.

The ship's other crew consisted of Temutai and Shu Tiao. Temutai was a giant water buffalo, five times Saras' also possessed the rudest set of jokes in the history of China and the largest barrage of rude language known to any example when Saras had first met him the buffalo had asked what you called a red fox. Saras had replied with red fox, but Temutai had replied with a no, it's a sunburnt white one. The joke wasn't even funny, and that was probably the reason Saras wasn't entirely keen on the bovine. It was difficult to feel sorry for his broken arm. Shu Tiao was even worse if that was possible. He was going back to China to face charges for deserting. And it wasn't really hard to see the reason. The gazzele was as cowardly as a cockroach, even more so if that was possible. He ducked at loud noises and shrieked like a girl if anything even remotely sharp was pointed at him. Yet, despite how scared he was, he was also scary to a certain degree. He wore a hooded cloak and kept to the corners, muttering darkly about revenge and how much some people would pay if they so much as looked at him. Saras was pretty sure, however, that if it came to blows he could take Shu Tiao. The gazelle was as thin as a stick and his horns, though sharpened to an edge, were short and provided practically no reach.

If for any reason he was caught attempting to smuggle the dead list to China, he would be doomed. For starters he had the suspicion that the ship was already lost, and if he tried to run away he would only end up in the water. The water was something he always feared, probably because noone really knew what lies beneath the ocean's waves. Sharks, serpents, squids, dragons heaven only knew what the sea held underneath the waves. Then if he tried to fight his way out, he could probably take out Bian Zao, but then again the boar didn't really seem to care about anything, and Shu Tiao, but the gazelle might have something hidden up his sleeves. Temutai would send him flying with one punch to the face and Taotie would probably trap him pretty easily.

That was another reason he hated the ship. The Horizon, as the ship was called, had absolutely nothing entertaining for a child of thirteen years of age. Bian Zao thought that everything and anything was 'lame', Taotie was strict and overprotective. Shu Tiao seemed to despise him. And Temutai would just make him dirty minded. Yep, life was great. Most of the time he just randomly thought up gruesome ways in which he would most likely meet his end. Like getting munched on by a gigantic squid, getting torn apart by cannibals or getting sucked up a dragon's... he sniffed at the air. Something stunk, terribly. This wasn't like all those time some dirty cloth or rag had somehow managed to stay on board after someone used the latrines. This was something metallic and harsh. He remembered that time his hand had been burnt badly. The smell it had given off. And then he saw something that made his blood shiver and freeze up like a statue of ice. A ship, another one, right next to theirs the figures withing were so gruesome looking, fangs bared and claws outstretched. Then a great fog descended over both ships. Saras turned left and right, he was surrounded by clouds of white. He was supposed to be on guard for the night, and yet he was already failing miserably, for he couldn't see anything. He tried to regain control of his vocal chords but to no avail. He took a deep breath, he was going mad, the ship was making him go mad. Maybe it was time for a shift change. Taotie would understand. He spun around and took a step forwards. He was knocked to the floor and stared up at the grinning face of a leopard, one that screamed 'breakfast'. No stutter has ever been able to prevent anyone from screaming.

And that' s exactly what Saras did.


	4. The Horizon Sinks

**A/N: Well hello again to all my reviewers and readers. To Beserker88, yeah that would be a really odd team up, you're welcome to use Saras if you want to, but quite frankly we both no that any fight between them... let's just say your shape shifter would kick mine's ass.**

 **Enjoy.**

His cry of fear was cut short when the leopard punched him straight in the face. He rolled out of the way and attempted to stand up, but was pinned against the ground via a foot pressed against his back. His scream had however alerted the others as Temutai stuck his big fat head from out of the trapdoor that lead to the lower deck.

"Whassat, Whasgoingon",the next second two more leopards had landed on top of him, before sealing the trapdoor shut behind him. Saras knew that another thing to worry about on the oceans were pirates, though he had not thought about dying in a pirate attack. He disappeared under the leopards foot, reappearing several feet away. He would have tried to climb up the mast he now had his back to, but his paws were suddenly grabbed from behind him and pulled around the mast.

Some of the fog by now had cleared and he could make out the first leopard pretty clearly. He was young,probably only four or five years his senior, but that offered no reassurance. He wore a dark black jacket, that seemed to be made out of leather. His pants were the same. Saras thought that if this wasn't a life or death scenario he would probably laughing his head off right now. He clawed at the paws holding his own and leapt free of the mast,entering what he presumed to be a stance. The Bat Cave had provided him with a modified rice hat that could reveal several hidden knife blades, he also wore Talon Claws, on his feet that gave him good grip, handy for fighting upside down(a bat invention no doubt). Other than that he was practically unarmed. The first leopard had a pair of short hooks, which he had no doubt could decapitate just about anything. There were two others. One wore a light brown leather jacket and pants. The other wore a green pair of the same clothes.

Saras would have said some snarky comment, but with his stutter it would only make himself feel more vulnerable. He managed to choke something vaguely understandable before the fog encircled him once again.

And now he was blind and unarmed. This was such a good morning to be fighting in. Still at least he knew the ship, and then it hit him. Taotie's inventions were his keys to victory. He felt stupid for not thinking about it earlier. He looked around, there was nothing visible that could be used as a weapon. There was this one thing that looked like a fat crossbow, but Saras didn't even know what it was. Still better to seem armed. He picked up the object, just as a knife missed him midair, and then a feminine voice followed. One that sounded far too high pitched to be real, and spoke in minute giggles.

"Come out come out wherever you are".

Smirking Saras pointed the thing in the direction of the voice. He knew that all of Taotie's creations worked on a lever being pulled, this one had three. He pulled all simultaneously. Three flares, two spinning rocks and a small boulder erupted from he machine, which simultaneously jettisoned Saras back into the mast, hitting his back so hard he was sure he would never be able to sit hunched again. He managed a weak smile as two of the projectiles made contact with the leopards bodies, sending the felines backwards. The fog lifted temporarily, and Saras admired as both the brown and green clad reptile were knocked to the ground.

There were two more figures,one wore heavy white furs that matched his Albino skin, Saras wondered why or how this guy could stand the summer heat wearing the kind of thing most families had only in winter, and even then few. The female wore a dress as black as night, one that would be entirely suitable to a party, at a strip club or so it would seem, but then again those were supposed to be against Chinese law. She also held two war fans in her paws and giggled maliciously.

"Say goodnight", she threw a knife from somewhere and Saras was pinned to his back,the next thing he saw was the underside of a hoof plunged against his body with such force it made a hole in the upper deck, he fell heavily on a crate of supplies and had no time to move as what seemed like dozens of people leapt in after him, landing on his ribs or stomach. Saras was sure that if anyone even slightly heavier had leapt onto him all his guts would have been squashed to a pulp inside of him. Yet another method of death he hadn't thought of. He managed to move out of the way as one of the leopards, it was difficult to tell which as the lower deck was not lit very well jumped down. Whichever one it was it grabbed him by the snout, before extending it's claws into the poor fox's snout, before flinging the vulpine into the wooden walls.

Saras had the bad luck to land in one of Taotie's traps, the doors flinging shut behind him, locking him into the tight space that the cage allocated him. He felt his throat grabbed through the bars, the leopards claws beginning to sink into his unprotected neck.

He heard someone say stop and then the whole world went black to him. AS if the sun had been hidden behind a black veil.

* * *

 _Footnote:_

 _The five leopards from this chapter and story belong to LOA, as does Temutai,Taotie and Bian Zao. Shu Tiao and Saras are my own and that's it so far._

 _Update soon._


	5. The Pirate Captain

Saras only awoke as soon as he and the rest of the horizon's mismatched crew were thrown headfirst into the pirate ship's lower deck. Most were groaning and Temutai's arm was severely bandaged, though roughly, as if he himself had done it without even looking. Then again if his own arm had been hit that badly who would want to look at it ? Shu Tiao was the quickest to recover, and was also the quickest to point the blame at anyone.

"Who was on watch"?

No reply.

"WHO WAS ON WATCH"?!

Saras poked his hand up slowly, and almost instantly regretted doing so.

In the nexzt second everything he had ever thought of Shu Tiao as a coward, boy he had wasted time, the gazelle charged at him and it took the combined strengths of Temutai and Taotie to restrain him from choking the fox. Nobody however could stop the gazelle's tongue from screaming.

"Traitor! Pagan! Fake friend! Japanese scum"!

Saras just slumped back against the wall, he still felt dizzy and his snout must have only stopped bleeding a few minutes before, because his snout was still wet.

"Shut your mouth, Shu Tiao, he's just a kid"! Temutai commanded,but to no avail as the antelope began squirming in their grips even further, as if he was all the evil in the world, or something else that could never be caged up forever.

Taotie must have realized this as well, for he grabbed a pair of hand cuffs, that he had somehow retained on his belt throughout the fighting, and cuffed the gazelle to one of the tables, which were all laden with various objects of various sizes. Shu Tiao was now no longer life threatening.

"OK, this is bad but put your hand up if you are tired".

Most people launched their hands into the air immediately,but Saras wasn't feeling tired, he knew that anyways his opinion wouldn't count, after all it had been his idiocy that had all got them stuck in the mess after all.

"Fine then we'll rest for now and then, well... we'll think of something when we have the energy to do something"...

Saras knew for fact that noone was going to be able to think of anything, too many cooks in a kitchen spoils the cooking. He decided that he himself would probably be able to think of a better idea than anyone else here.

He examined the bars above him. There seemed to be two layers to the trapdoor. The first layer was a set of iron bars that locked them in, above that was a thin sheet of metal used to blot out the sun.

He thought that perhaps he would be small enough to squeeze through the first set, but the second one was harder. Hopefully it wasn't locked.

First he needed to get back up there anyways, at first, he attempted to climb the decking, but that failed miserably and he could see that if he kicked too hard at the bottom, the lower part would fall off and the boat would sink. He next tried to stack a few things together, but failed miserable once again, when one of the boxes fell and he landed on Temutai's bare chest. Instead of waking the bovine up, he was crushed by it's good arm, just barely getting away from it's grip. is third plan was to try and jump up and grab it, this failed even worse when he jumped down onto Taotie's belly, which bounced him upwards, his light weight helping him knock his head against the upper deck or roof of the boat, before landing next to the boar hard on his back.

Finally it all came to his last plan, which ended with him turning into a hummingbird. He was skilled in flight when he was a crane, but the hummingbird was harder, it was completely different and the normal avian's style of flight did,t apply to it, still the green flash it created was significantly smaller. He, after numerous crash landings, managed to barely grab hold of the iron bar with his talons. He flipped himself back over, much more akin to walking as a hummingbird than flying as one, he pushed against the metal sheet but to no avail. It had it's advantages and it had it's disadvantages, and a significant lack of strength was one of his disadvantages. He turned into a fox, the flash of green temporarily illuminating the entire cabinet. It also pushed over the metal sheet completely, a loud crash was heard as it hit the deck. Saras emerged triumphantly into the sunrise.

He hoped dearly that the crash had not been heard by anyone. He looked at the ship. On one side there was a cabin that was really just a tent, where he could see several bunks and people sleeping, the deck itself was seemingly empty.

There was a trapdoor at both ends of the ship. One was marked with the character for crew, the other with in case of emergency. Several feet in front of the trapdoor he had emerged from, was what appeared to be a throne, several keys dangling from it, it's wood the same red as his fur. He also noticed in the new light that his and the other members of his crew had their clothes all separately and neatly stacked in a pile at the ship's corner, he also realized that he was wearing a long black cloth, wrapped in the stye of some pants, with the folds working as several kinds of pockets, that severely begged the question as to who had changed his clothes while he was asleep.

Still, that wasn't important now. What mattered was getting off of the ship alive. He raced towards the in case of emergency trapdoor and tugged at it, finding that it refused to pull open. The bars were too thin to squeeze through this time, and even if he could get in there was no way he would be able to pull out one of the canoes. He grimaced and looked to the throne. He pinpointed the key he needed, one attached to a set of over keys, which he raced forwards to grab, he had just leapt onto the throne, when he heard footsteps,loud and clear coming his way. He realized that they were coming from the tent and curled up as best as he could, trying to hide the black cloth and blend in with the red of the throne.

His name was Kanbujian, and yet even that tactic failed to make him invisible. He heard a throaty chuckle and then felt a lot of pressure on his body as something sat down on top of him. He was clouded in darkness (only because he was too scared to open his eyes) band the only thing he could smell was the rusty smell of iron.

"Are you listening"?

The accent was implaceable, not japanese, not chinese, not Indian.

"Fie don't answer, if you want to be a pin cushion I'll treat you like one".

Whatever was on top of him proceeded to smother him even further against the wooden throne.

"Are you listening"?

Saras let out a muffled and stuttered yes, which was somehow understood.

"I should kill you, for escaping and for sitting in my seat, but, hmm let me think".

Saras felt his pressure leave him and he opened his eyes, only to be grabbed by the back of the neck and pulled upwards, so that he was face to face with the camel.

The camel was huge, and that was truly the best description for him, if Saras had been on the ground, he would only reach up until the end of the camel's pants. Wearing the khaki green pants which were the biggest in the market and yet failed to cover his feet completely, his fur an orange that was flaked in both fresh and dried blood. He could have undoubtedly swallowed Saras whole then and there and Saras almost thought he would when the camel next oped his mouth.

"£But you got out and that would be a skill I want to see in the run, so yeah, I'll let you go now, but let's face it, try again and I could probably fit you in my".. he trailed off with a smile that seemed friendly, but Saras knew that it was almost certainly fke, the camel dropped him onto the bars and he fell straight through, landing once again on Temutai's bare chest, the bovine once again wrapping his strong arms around him.

He didn't like the camel, but he didn't hate him either.

"The name's Chi by the way", he heard the camel say before the metal sheet was clanged shut and this time locked behind him.

* * *

 _Footnote: Chi is one of those OCs that you see everywhere, yep he's in this fic as well. His name means eat by the way.  
_

 _Enjoy and Update soon._


	6. Hello to Your Death

The boat ran aground near dawn, well by near I mean several hours before dawn. The Horizon's former crew were roughly bagged (either over their eyes or over their bodies).

Saras was not only blinded but he was also pressed tightly in the bag, it appeared dark and stunk of sweat and much to his horror, the stench of iron, which he was fast becoming used to, way too used to to be normal.

Now was the first time he actually regretted going on his first mission, alone. He never had any belief in fate, no matter what anyone said, and yet he was sure that it hated him without a doubt. He had almost been killed a couple of times in Korea, caught stealing the death records, he had almost been killed sneaking onto the boat, and had it not been for Taotie's resolute fatherly behaviour towards anyone and anyone, he would have been a hanging corpse right now.

But to be honest to the gods everywhere, he was beginning to wish he had been hanged, rather than being kidnapped and taken to an island prison with no hope of escape, and only death to look forwards to. And then he had always thought he had an overactive imagination, now he wished he didn't, as all he could imagine was his death.

He was dropped and lined up, it was now dawn, but to his surprise he could see a great many people tagging along behind him, watching him greedily, then he looked upon a huge crocodile, fat and round as a boulder, whose white ivory armour didn't dismiss the fact that he looked more like some sort of rock than an actual animal.

"Good morrow, to ya all. I present to ya the Dawn of Death, wherein we getta see what yall made up of".

Saras gulped and several others did so as well.

"The rules be simple like. All ya gotta do is get to that marble house over there before ya get illed by our noble brood".

He indicated a group of what seemed to be teenagers not much older than Saras himself, all growling, snarling or flashing weapons at them. saras swa all five leopards from before, and groaned, he hated fate. So, so much.

"Begin"!, The crocodile drawled, and Saras was left behind, as the rest of the horizon's crew sped off in the mad sprint of life.

Saras was distracted for a moment by a butterfly as big as his face, but that moment nearly ended his life.

The leg that connected with his spine belonged to Long, the oldest of the leopards and by far the most arrogant, never ceasing on speaking of all the beasts he had skinned and now wore as cloacks.

The bone knife that missed his neck belonged to Song, his twin. She was the most mature, and at the same time maddest, in her own gown of black leather, she might have been beautiful, but the dress really took away from it.

The fist that smashed his nose against the ground belonged to Mian Tiao, the green clad and peace loving leopard, driven as mad by the hunt as anyone else.

His twin, the brown clad leopard Mian Bao gave him a flying double kick, that knocked him hard towards the house. The door smashed shut behind him, snapping his spine into a fully straight position.

Last but not least, the youngest cub of the litter. Weeper, he had a real name, but none used it, his war cry sounding like a weep of death and sadness, hence his name as such.  
He smashed his bone spear against the door with a loud grunt, Saras dodged, before scaling up to the top of the door, the spear narrowly missing his manlihood as yet another grunt sent the spear into the wood below him. He dropped low as with yet another grunt the spear was thrust into the place he had been only a few moments before.

* * *

Temutai slammed the door shut behind him, everyone was too out of breath to speak a word. He heard grunting and chuckled.

 _Sounds like they're having fun_ , he thought, before he realized that one of the crew members of his ship were unnacounted for.

Bracing himself for whatever was out there he opened the door.

* * *

Saras had long since resorted to flashing out of the way in the last second, which was actually a pretty good tactic, even if it did manage to sorely piss off the leopards to an even greater extent.

This is of course not very hard to understand, dear reader, as the felines came so very close to hurting him even further, and yet at the last second he just slipped from their grip.

The only problem was that it was extremely tiring, and he was very nearly drained of energy.

The door smashed into Weeper's face as Temutai leapt out, Saras having finally come close enough to dissapear into the building. The bewildered bovine turned to the sound of thudding and panting as Saras collapsed onto his back behind him, closing the door just in time as a loud thunk crashed into the wood, one of Song's knives undoubtedly.

* * *

 _Footnote:The Five leopards are all OOCS, my specialty really. They belong to Junjie in the KFP, series of LOA, Legends of Annoyingness. Essentially they're a bunch of side characters from a TV series, whom I have... shall we say updated ?  
_

 _Mian Tiao means noodle. Mian Bao means bread. Long means dragon, and I have no idea as to what Song or Weeper mean in Chinese. The names are sort of random, but that's only because google crashed on me so I had to stick to my basic knowledge of Chinese._

 _Enjoy and Update soon._


	7. Escape Strategy

Saras stopped panting a few moments later. The crew had survived, but Shu Tiao was hiding in one of the corners, arms around his knees, rocking like a small child, Bian Zao, despite a gleam of panick visible in his eyes seemed sure of something. Probably death. Both Temutai and Taotie had unnerving levels of calm about them, as if they had been doing this there whole life, then again they probably were. Saras was quite and clutched at a hurt paw, a small trickle of crimson liquid pouring from it.

"Welcome to your death", the plain and unafraid voice belonged to a slow lorris, clad in a garment of blue, he had an odd accent and wide yellow eyes that took most of the space on his face. He also wore an expression of no emotion. "Whether it be by fire or water, or lack of air or pain or bleeding or mosquito bites, cougar attacks-"

"We get the picture".

"You are all going to die". He turned on the spot and sat down in a meditative pose, with his back towards them, ignoring their arrival for the rest of the time there.

"Ignore Tong Fo, he's just a sour simian".

"As if that was hard to tell".

* * *

A few days passed along. Tong Fo remained sour for as long as he could, but had to stop his so called meditation whenever what little food was passed around between them. There were three other foxes, who spoke harshly in japanese, and clung to each other in a tight knit group,practically ignoring everyone and anyone who spoke to them or they spoke to, there were two crocodiles left, apparently they had been three at first, but one had long since gone missing, there names were Fung and Gahri, and were the most argumentative pair of reptiles ever, each seemed to like the other as a brother and like brothers they had to be kept away from each other. Over the next few days however there was one bright ray of sunshine, and his name was Babirasu, a babirusa of bright pink, who seemed drawn to every single flame he had ever seen. Despite all that had undoubtedly happened to him he was the most cheerful creature ever, seemingly constantly smiling, jokes were terrible and he seemed to laugh at how terrible they were. He was only two years more than Saras in age, and often spoke to the fox, the two forming a strong bond of freindship.

Bian Zao, seemed to heavily disapprove of their happiness, as he took every spare moment to try and make them see why they weren't in a good position, let alone one to be happy about.

One morning the rations were being handed out from the basket when to their horror there was not a scrap of food left.

The rations had consisted of bean buns as old as the sun, and yet not a single one of those plain morsels of food were left behind.

The group set about debating as to what they would do now.

"It's actually stupidly obvious, just go and steal some from the village", Fung was saying.

Tong Fo face palmed. "Take one foot out that door you are as dead as a doornail. The only way we now survive is by our wits".

Apparently Tong Fo expected them all to survive on the grass they could get from the window, and leaves from nearby trees, this was fine for Shu Tiao, Temutai, well it was fine for everyone who wasn't a fox.

Foxes had once been bloodthirsty predators, now they lived on actual food, which had valuable nutrients (tofu was a favourite, especially with a drizzle of soya sauce dripping from the sliced chunks), grass was not something easily digestible, and Saras was starting to feel lightheaded and dizzy, from lack of water, fresh air, sun light. All the sort of things one would normally have on a day to day basis, which were now denied from him and everyone else within the small marble building.

There was no bright side to this and absolutely no way out, he had to do something before he starved, or before the three japs did something they would later on regret, a lot. He still had no idea what could be done by him or anyone. Fung had mentioned a village, well he had no idea as to the location of said village, secondly this village was presumably the home of the Kucha tribe, and that meant that he would be waltzing straight into their paws, so that was a no no. He tried digging at the earth to see whether there was an underground stream, that only made his paws filthy, and caked in several layers of muddy earth, with no liquid. He searched the rations basket time and time again, finding not a scrap of anything even remotely edible.

Eventually it all came back to the village, and he was lucky enough to overhear Tong Fo in his sleep, he had a makeshift plan already forming in his mind, and couldn't help grinning at his own genius.


	8. The Rat Run

Saras awoke to find himself being shaken roughly awake by Tong Fo, the simain's golden eyes staring at him with a mixture of sympathy and fear. "We need to leave". The rest of the group were already assembled standing, some yawning, others wide awake and spluttering as to what was going on.

"I don't have much time to explain, but essentially we need to run. The Rat Run is an annual championship so to speak, where people show off their hunting skills to one another. We are the prey, the Kucha are the predator. The only way to survive this is to either remain hidden for two weeks, or to find this", he indicated a picture which made Saras groan. He loathed fate, it was his birthstone and as a Jit Kun his birthright. The crystal of Bei, shining green even on the dull worn out scroll."We need to leave before they find us here".

Somehow Saras smelled burning firewood before anyone else, the japs also seemed to have sensed it. It was his luck that saved him. Saras always complained about how he had so much bad luck, well sometimes being the smallest creature helped, when with a thud a burning arrow hit the wall above him.

There was a hunting cry and then all hell broke loose as dozens more burning arrows flew in from the hole that was a window. Saras was misplaced in the confusion, and was the last to exit the house, as he saw his fellow comrades run like thunder in random directions away from the archers, who continued to besiege them, swapping over to meelee weapons.

Saras saw briefly Chi, and glanced as Shu Tiao beheaded a shrew with his own blade, the gazzele laughing madly, no longer a coward. All thoughts were put away by a swift kick to the side as he was roughly grabbed by one leg and hanged upside down, once again staring into the same leopard's grinning features. The fox was ready and reeled back, slamming in with a headbutt, the feline dropping him, allowing the vulpine to sprint for the trees, a metal dart whizzed past and struck the earth in front of him, he pulled it out sharply, and turned to see a leopard clad in white furs leaping at him, roaring madly, it's fangs gleaming white and crimson.

For one moment he was frozen in fear, then he saw Tong Fo land a fly-kick on the feline, before deciding he had seen enough, turning tails he raced through the forest, the branches and leaves whipping at his face, as he charged through the undergrowth in a blind panic. He tripped on a root, but got back up and continued his mad dash. He tripped again, but when he got up this time he saw something that made his heart bubble with a small glimmer of hope. It was a longboat. Two weeks. He smirked before leaping onboard, to his great relief it had a map, which he promised he would study later on. He pushed away from land and the small boat travelled through the crystal clear waters, cutting the liquid as it sailed though the prestene and calm oceans.

The sun was going up, now, and he suddenly felt very tired, he dozed away for most of the day, snoring gently as the sun baked his unprotected boat. He was drifting along, spinning around in blissful ignorance of what hid under the waves, or what lay in front of, behind him,or above him, wrapped up in his tiny bubble of pure joy.

He forgot that behind him, setting sail were more members of the Kucha, ahead of him was an island that was almost certain death, under him lived giant beasts that would love to have a snap at him, and above him well, similar things, only prevented by the mark of the Kucha and a sort of metalic smell spread over the boat. Forgetting all of that the young fox kit dreamed of all the happy memories he ever had.

* * *

He smelled it before he heard it, the scent of something burning, normally his pointed ears would have picked it up first, but he didn't notice much difference in himself, and felt no shame. The firework burst in front of the full moon, it's sparks spreading around it's silver glow. It formed a few chinese characters, which read as "The Dead".

His heart skipped a beat and for a moment the place was dark, before another firework was launched from the island, he recognized the face instantly, it was the minute shrew Shu Tiao had beheaded, Saras felt a pang of greif for the Kucha, most likely younger than him, the face faded away like some sort of forgotten memory, away into nothingness, disappearing as swiftly as it had arrived.

Next were a few older Kucha, one rat looked like he would have died in the next couple of days anyways, his wrinkles practically overlapping each other. More passed, and Saras counted five, before the last firework burst open.

Old, rude, grouchy, and now on his way to his next life.

Tong Fo was dead.


	9. The Isle of the Damned

Saras had never considered Tong Fo a friend, but he wasn't an enemy either. Still the simian had probably been killed in the fight with the leopards, which was also kind of his fell into an uneasy sleep, waking up and not remembering what his dream had been about, something to do with Weeper.

* * *

When he woke up he had found that he had ran aground, on what seemed the perfect epitome of a beach. Sand, sun and crystal clear waters, shining like diamonds. Now was the first time he unrolled the map, and what he saw looked like a handrawn image, a child's one at that. There were two main islands, one a dull foresty grey, with a village and a small marble hut marking out clearly the Kucha village. Next to it was an island of similar size, a narrow strip of sand surrounded the island, before it went inland and continued in a wide arc of woodland glade, essentially he was staring at a jungle, one that also seemed to contain a river and a volcanoe. He was desperately hungry, and practically dying of thirst. He needed food and water. He shook all dark thoughts out of his head and headed inwards, towards the river, and sadly the volcanoe. He also noticed a label, the Isle of the Damned. He looked, it apparently also held a passageway towards the Isle of Lost, and that's when he realized, he could win this, his freedom. If something were to be found, surely it must be lost first ? He smirked at his own cleverness, before marching forwards in high hopes of success.

* * *

He had been walking in the jungle for no more than half an hour, and yet the further on he went, the more he felt like an ant. The forest was big enough to get lost in, and beautiful enough for people to want to get lost in it. He was beginning to loose hope of ever finding something to eat, when he saw from the corner of his eye, something that made his heart stop.

A giant, glistening red as rose, fruit. It was probably the size of his head, and he was almost mesmerized by it's beauty, he could feel his mouth drool as with satisfaction he walked towards it, dropping the map and dart into his folded pockets.

Saras was normally a very sly creature, then again who has ever heard of a fox that wasn't ? But any of his slyness and cunning vanished as without any hint of hesitation he bit into the glistening red fruit.

What he didn't realize was that this 'fruit' could bite back.

He spat out the liquid of greenish colour and rusted taste. Instinct made him pull away, but he was not quick enough, as the fruit split into a mouth, dripping with green slime. He let out a whimper of fear as he was rooted to the spot in panic, as the plant bit into his neck, his head enveloped inside it's throat. Instinct was thew only thing that saved him from being plant fodder. He quickly morphed into a dragon and released a column of flame, that burnt at the beast's throat, the plant released him and he hastily pulled away, before shifting back into a fox and scampering away. He noticed that he had lost his hat, and bit back a growl.

Once again it was his nose that saved him as he hastily pulled away under a rock crevice, the scent of three felines having been too present for safety.

There were three of them. The black one, green one and brown one, they were all laughing merrily and joking around, though Saras couldn't make out the words, only the laughter. He stood as still as a stick as they passed, their legs passing his vision. Saras noted, and felt an odd sort of happiness, that the one clad in black leather was limping. He was still hungry, and his stomach grumbled, for a minute he thought they heard him, then there was a roar like thunder and an earsplitting crash as something leapt onto the rock he had been hiding under, it felt weird, but he couldn't help smiling as all three of the leopards ran off into the woodland, like a magician's act they dissapeared into the undergrowth. Saras was stock still, he knew that something the leopards had been afraid of, wasn't exactly a good thing,unless it was one of the survivors.

He waited for a long while, the screeching having stopped, he decided to venture out and see what he could find. He crawled out and turned to the rock, nothing was above it for sure. He breathed a sigh of relief, he turned and found himself staring into the open beak of a large eagle, ot much taller than him, but large enough to swallow him whole.

Frozen in fear, a nervous heh heh, was the last sound that came out of his mouth before the beak clamped shut over him.


	10. The Gutting Grounds

Saras felt the massive maw clamp over him completely, recieving a heavy drenching in several layers of saliva, as he was smothered in the substance by the bird's gigantic beak. He flashed in green, appearing a few feet away, still coated in the transparent substance that seemed to stick to him like a glue. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him, the bird in hot pursuit.

* * *

Temutai was furious. Shu Tiao, his captain for well over twenty years, had now failed him twice in a row, firstly when he tried to abandon ranks in Korea, secondly now, when he had ran off on his own. He and Taotie had landed on a jungle island, with Fung and Gah Ri, accompanying them. They weren't bad, but all they did was bicker, and the bovine lacked the energy to tell them to keep their jaws closed. Taotie was worried sick over his son, and seemed to avoid anything and everything that mattered, having clearly lost faith. They had arrived on a raft, which he had now made into two spears, and rough shields for the crocodiles. Taotie had equipped himself with his belt and a few rocks, serving as a rough sling. He himself had only a big stick. The whole terrain was wild,, but they had agreed that if there was one place a gem would be hidden it would be a volcano, after all who would dare tread there.

* * *

Babirasu and Bian Zao were thriving. They had made camp on the island jungle, and had planned to wait out the two weeks, then try and sail off with the others. This was a very good plan, as it meant that all they had to do was eat, sleep and stay alert. The fact that a berry bush was next to them and that the fruits were actually the size of coconuts, gave them both a huge boost in morale. Mostly they talked, about their lives outside of the island.

"So where do you come from"?

Babirasu quirked his head,. "I told you at breakfast".

Bian Zao shrugged. "it's hard to pay attention to someone while you're stuffing your face with blackberries".

"I come froom a small village in China, called Piaoliang".

"Is it nice there"?

"It was, then it got burnt to cinders".

"Mongols"?

Babirasu nodded."They killed my mom", Bian Zao said sadly."It's just me and my dad now. He's good, but when he's not fighting for the Imperial Army, he tinkers with things".

"That's not exactly bad".

"His tinkering means I barely see him, sometimes it feels like he's trying to make a new mom".

"And you put up with this"?

Bian Zao shrugged."Jerk or not he's still my dad, besides he's the only thing I've got left".

There brief moment of speech was rudely interrupted by the fox who leapt over the bush and kept on running. Exactly two minutes later a huge eagle flew out and pursued him. Both blinked stupidly.

"We should".

"Help".

"Yeah,we should help".

Both tore after the two.

* * *

Saras kept on panting, racing crazily, he teleported to the side, avoiding as the beak snapped over him. He suddenly got an idea, but would have to carry it out later, as at that moment he was kicked in the chest by a leopard clad in black leather.

"Remember me"? It grinned down at the exhausted vulpine, before smashing the fox's nose hard with his foot.

The eagle swooped in, and deciding that the feline would make a more satisfactory meal it grabbed the cat and attempted to bite down on his throat. The leopard kicked out, but that leg was scrapped by one of the avian's massive talons. The only thing that saved Long was his smarts. As the bird's tongue draped over his face, he bit down harshly on it, blood coating his teeth. The bird let go and flew off in pain.

Long, however, was not unscathed, he had a deep gash on his chest from where the eagle had clawed at him, he fell onto his back crying out in pure agony.

Mian Tiao and Mian Bao came running and one glance at the fox, and then at the leopard, and both felines thought they knew exactly what happened. Snarling they both jumped at the vulpine.

"B-bye". He squeaked as he vanished, and shimmied up the tree he had appeared next to, desperation driving him faster than ever. Both leopards gave chase, and Saras only stopped when he reached a long flat branch, wide as a boat. He was kickd in the side by Mian Bao, the attack sending him to the ground. He flashed behind the leopard, but was cornered by Mian Tiao, who now held a spear to the vulpine. Saras used his last chi to dissapear, vanishing behind the one clad in brown leather. Mian Tiao had not stopped his weapon in time, and the wooden stake now cut through the leopard entirely. The brown leopard, destined for death, spat blood as he pulled the spear out calmly.

"Kill the fox for me".Those were the last words he ever said as he tittered over and fell, his spine snapping as he hit the whole forest shook with Mian Tiao's cry of "NOOOOOO"!

Saras felt a twinge of guilt, but then he had to focus on dodging the attacks of the leopard clad in green. He was slapped onto his back, and a foot was pressed against his chest, pinning him down.

"You'll pay for that ! Blood for blood"!

The spear was slowly lowered into Saras' open mouth, cutting the tongue a bit.

"Say your goodbyes"!

The vulpine's jaws snapped shut on the sharpened wooden point, he spat out the wood and bit into the leopard's footpaw. The feline leapt up in pain, but was then pinned by the furious fox, who out of pure hatred had snapped into a mode of no sense. He growled, hackles raised, snarling as he bared his teeth, preparing for the final attack.

"Please". The one word seemed to temporarily stop the fox, but then he remembered Tong Fo and savagely aimed at it's throat.

"Help!Father!Brothers!Sister!Help!Mother!"

His last word was if anything a sob rather than a scream, and in the next moment, the leopard lay dead, his throat having been bitten off.

His anger faded, and Saras spat out the blood dripping from his teeth he felt disgusted, he had killed someone. What he did next was what any child would have done. He curled up and cried, and because none could hear him...all, was silent in the deep dark wood.


	11. Survival Strategy

**A/N: I'm actually surprised how many people liked the previous chapter. Enjoy.**

Saras had a weird dream, he was once again running, only he wasn't looking at himself, he was looking at something, n odd figure, blurred in his dream, he felt himself leap, and then he woke up. He felt sick with himself, he didn't want to, but he knew he would have to get a move on. Long had been injured and had not pursued him, but he was sure the leopard was out for revenge. That made three. Three were dead because of him, Tong Fo, Mian Tiao and Mian Bao, three were out to kill him, and the rest...were nowhere near growled, this island was giving him thisodd itch on the back of his ear, something he ignored, little did he know, just what this island could do to someone.

* * *

Fung and Gah Ri were argumentative at the best of times, but now, with no food between them, they had practically become a pair that could scream a house down.

"are we there yet"? Fung demanded from the back, sick and tired of walking to seemingly nowhere.

It took all of Temutai's powers of tolerance to not smash the reptile's nose."No, we are not. Once again it's the same answer". He growled through gritted teeth. He glanced worriedly at Taotie, who had been silent since the previous day, two leopards had died, that was a bad sign. It was mid morning now, and with nothing to do Gahri, the near restless poet began singing, a rhyme he had learnt as a child.

 ** _"Green rushes, green rushes and lilies so pale,_**

 ** _Pray sit down and listen to my tale,_**

 ** _For the rivers flow fast, and the mountains are tall,_**

 ** _And over the meadows, the curlews do call,_**

 ** _Green rushes, pale lilies, I bid you good day,_**

 ** _For where I'm not welcome I would never stay_**

 ** _Green rushes"-_**

"Shut up already! We are not a musical concerto! One more song about plants and I'll, I'll- Darnit Garry"!

"It's Gahri".

Fung looked like he was about to explode, waving frantically his face went red from his complete lack of breath as he puffed up to twice his size with bloated rage. Temutai, seemed to have noticed an outbreak, and decided to prevent it.

"Both of you pipe down", Fung deflated and both reptiles obeyed. Until...Gahri noticed a hint of Saras's fur sticking from a crevice. That sent him the memory of a small sonnet on foxes in general.

 ** _"Where they go,_**

 ** _Tis a secret no beast may know,_**

 ** _Murdering vulpine thieves,_**

 ** _Who meld with the stone,_**

 ** _Or blend with the leaves,_**

 ** _And steal you bare to the very bo"-_**

"SHUDDUP"!

The arrow flew from out of nowhere, imbedding itself into the ground a few inches away from Gahri's arguing pair had practically given away their location to someone who was now less than friendly. It was the Imperial Army's former general, Shu Tiao. The gazzele had been a war veteran for over twenty years, and had seemingly made from scratch a crossbow, with sharp bolts that were dipped in some sort of plant matter, that glowed greenish blue and seemed to sizzle. He was clearly a trained proffesional, as his normally light brown shade of fur was replaced with a multitude of greens, reds and somehow blues, so that he was well camouflaged against other creatures and people, who might be after him or after his blood.

He had also gone mad. Cackling wildly he reloaded the Crossbow. It was a clunky weapon, one that most people would struggle to lift, let alone load and fire, while cackling madly and creeping the crap out of anyone that saw him. He fired again, and Temutai let his wide stick take the blow. He charged and headbutted the gazzele, who flipped onto his back, before twisting and landing a kick to the bovine's nose, blood spewing forth from the wound. Temutai clung to his bleeding nose.

"Aww, is the wittle baby gonna cwy? Boo-Hoo"! He shot the crossbow, but Fung's shield took the blow, before Gahri spun in from nowhere and slapped the back of the mad beast's head with his tail side. Knowing he was outnumbered Shu Tiao pulled out a vial with some sort of odd green liquid, which he threw to the ground, before disappearing in a cloud of the emerald smoke. Despite being several li away by now, the gazzele's mad laugh could still be heard echoing through the wood.

* * *

Night came too early, to think it had only been morning a few hours before. Resting on his back, once again in the relative safety offered by the tree canopy Saras stared at the stars, before once again the dead list puffed into existence before his eyes. Once again he stared at the ghost of Tong Fo, then the grinning face of Mian Bao, it had probably been a younger portait. Mian Tiao came last, and Saras felt another splinter of guilt as he saw the now dead by his own hand figure, smiling, as if he were still alive, fat chance.

He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, unaware completely and totally that he was being gradually transformed into something else.


	12. Psychological Torment

Saras had been walking for ages it had been three days since the leopards had died by his own paw. He had in that time been experiencing numerous phenomena, and very strange ones at that. He had been having a dream, where somehow he was chasing someone, and yet he always got a bit closer,but never close enough to see it's face. He always woke up bitterly disappointed and yet desperate for more, he needed to know, who was he chasing, and why did he seem to be enjoying these dreams of his. He needed answers he craved them. He placed his paws into the river, desperate for a drink of water. All he found was that his paws were cleared from dirt, he stood up electrically, and knew exactly what it had meant from the tracks. He had been walking on all fours for all this time,and yet he hadn't noticed.  
What was happening to him ? He threw his head into the river, screaming into the water, the bubbles rising rapidly around him, then he dodged to the side as a set of jaws snapped at the space he had occupied only a few moments before. The river was infested with crocodiles,not all the way through, but around the middle area, or at least that was what his map said.

He took a deep breath, this island was doing something to him, of that he was sure, but he wasn't sure what it was doing or how it was doing it. He was fairly certain that he was being morphed from the insides, as somehow he couldn't see any physical changes, other than a near constant itch at his pants area. None had died in the area for several days now, so he was fairly safe, even if that only meant more exposure to whatever this island was doing to him. He started thinking of his life before the mission, and then it hit him. What was his name ? He raced through his mind, trying to find the answer that was not there.

Mian Tiao ? Mian Bao ? Po ? Peng ? Shing ?Ling ? Harun ? Urgot ? Twitchy ? Hater ?

Then he remembered.

* * *

 _"What's therapy"?_

 _"Hmm, therapy, it's a healing method"._

 _Saras scratched at his paws, then behind his ears, he had always been itchy. "What does it involve ? Bandages, needles, chi control, magic, fire, water, earth, metal"-  
_

 _"You're just naming things. Chi control and magic are one and the same. Therapy, it involves a lot of talking"-_

 _"So just a bunch of words to heal someone"?_

 _"Yes, but don't go around thinking a few words will stop a wound from can only help if your mind's in danger"._

 _"So, like depression"?_

 _"Pretty depression doesn't always need therapy. Sometimes you just have to remember who you are to be happy"._

 _Saras stiffled a yawn, which he hid rather badly,as the elderly bat lady next said._

 _"Anyways I think you need to see a bit of the best healer of all. Sleep"._

* * *

Saras felt a tear roll down his face. He had been eight in that memory, more than used to the ways of the bats. The 'mother' bat had been the first person to care about him besides Aang, she had been a library of information, and now he wished more than ever that he was still at home, in the cave populated by bats and criminals. There truly was no place like home. Then he began repeating in his head, over and over like a broken record.

My name is Kanbujian. My name is Kanbujian. Kanbujian. Kanbujian. Kanbujian.

 _"You don't have a name"_ , a voice in his head whispered. _"You're just a fox. Just a fox. A fox. Fox. Fox"._

Kanbujian.

 _"Fox"._

Kanbujian.

 _"Fox"._

Kanbujian!Kanbujian! Kanbujian!

"Kanbujian"? The dry chuckle made his blood turn to ice as he shivered, cold not the real reason.

He was lifted into the air by his tail,hanging limply in front of the camel. Staring directly into Chi's bloodshot eyes. He panicked and tried to kick out, the attack connected with the camel's nose, he would have grabbed and pulled, but realized to his horror that he was no longer wearing his Talon Claws. That was when he realized something was seriously wrong with him. He had had the Talon Claws since he had joined the Bat Cave, and yet now that they had gone missing he hadn't even realized before that moment. Something was wrong. This was not normal. The camel squeezed at his throat, throttling the life out of him. Saras fainted from fear and lack of air.

Chi chuckled dryly, he had saved the fox's life. True it now made him the target. But a knowing prey isn't a good one, that was a Kucha sentence anyways.

"Sorry kittys, but this ones mine".

He heard the sound of growling, and then that of rustling leaves as three leopards vanished further into the undergrowth.

For good measure Chi pulled off his belt and slipped the unconscious vulpine down his pants. True the fox would hate him for doing this,but he needed to be sure. Either way he loved the art of tormenting someone. Placing his belt back on he walked off towards his camp.


	13. Blood Diamond

When Saras woke up he found himself curled up in a cauldron. He stood up electrically, remembering Chi, his face hitting the lid full on. He yelped,clutching his hurt like hell, but all in all he was fine. He was covered in blood, but he knew that it wasn't his, the crimson liquid undoubtedly belonged to Chi. Saras found himself thinking on the camel. He had heard of him before, Chi was a serial killer and underworld warlord, he was famous. But how had the camel come to this sorry little island of misery. The lid was lifted and the camel himself came into view.

"Morning", was all he said, in his lateral accent.

"Y-you t-too".Saras didn't trust the camel, but the fact that he wasn't dead was a good sign.

"Well I hope you like soup".

He was lifted and gently dropped onto the ground in front of the camel, a huge plate the size of a normal wok was placed in front of him.

The soup itself, was less than advertising. It stunk of mud and dirt, and had a few twigs sticking out of pushed it away.

"Birds nest soup. My own specialty". The camel chuckled.

"So, Kanbujian"-

"H-how"-

"Do I know your name ? Everyone who has once been to the Criminal Underworld knows your name. Lord Shan never stops bragging about you and some sort of .How is the old fool "?

"He's d-d-dying".

"Hmm, never liked you and are famous. Ice control, shape shifting. And all that mush.I must say when we first met I didn't recognize you."

"You sat on me".

Chi shrugged. "I could have done worse. But that's not the point, I want to know about you, what can you do"?

"I c-can change form and"-

"Into what".

"well, so far a dragon,a mouse,a crane a hummingbird and a fox".

"Only five"?

"I can teleport. Though only sh-short distances".

"Your stutters falling".

"G-g-g-good".

Chi let out a dry laugh, one that ended with him spitting out a gob of blood onto the unprotected earth.

"Do you want to know why I saved you"?

"S-save m-m-me ? Y-you almost ch-choked me t-t-to d-death"!"

Chi shrugged. "But I didn't did I ? Anyways if I hadn't 'choked' you to death then you would be having a paw through your heart at this very moment".

"P-paw"? he asked doubtfully.

"You killed two leopards"-

Saras gulped.

"Three of them would skin you alive if i hadn't walked past at the right moment."

"W-why"?

"Because I found your tracks, and well, they aren't natural. You didn't notice did you, but you were walking on all fours for a great deal of time. That is not normal behavior for a civilized Chinese".

"S-s-so what's w-wrong w-with m-me"? Saras dreaded the answer but he needed it.

"Blood Diamond, have you ever heard of it"?

Saras shook his head from side to side.

" It can't be controlled. Let me explain to you, the Island of the Damned is filled with ferals, surely you have noticed that by now"?

Saras remembered the eagle and the crocodile, then nodded.

"Well, the Island of the Damned does that to people. It makes them feral, I don't know who or how or what made that happen but it's a fact."

"S-so I'm g-going f-f-eral;"?

"Yes".

"B-but, why a-aren't y-you t-t-t-turning f-feral"?

"I am,it's just I'm doing it slower".

"W-why is it f-f-faster f-f-for m-me"?

"Blood Diamond is something that you can't ever control."

"Blood Diamond"?

"When you killed the leopard, you ripped his throat out, with your fangs, correct"?

Saras nodded hesitatingly, wondering how the camel knew all of this stuff.

"You were filled with rage and you had blood in your mouth"?

Again Saras nodded.

"Blood Diamond is something that can never be controlled, all you can do to stop it is not to let blood get in your mouth. One droplet of blood and you will temporarily be feral,and end up exhausted. Now add your already existing propensity of turning temporarily into a complete feral to the island's strange ability to twist people's heads in such a way that after a few days they are unrecognizable, and you have the natural born characteristics of someone changing way faster than he should be".

"And there's n-no c-cure"?

"Maybe therapy, but the best cure is to get off of this island as fast as you can. And I have a way to do just that".

"W-what"?

"We find the gem, and then, hmm, you grew up in the Bat Cave, surely a bit of natural born treachery is normal"?

Saras grinned. He knew now exactly what he thought about Chi. The camel was his only escape. He didn't trust him, but it was nice to have someone you can count on sometimes. Especially when stuck on an island that made people go crazy.


	14. To Find a Fiddle

**A/N: The only reason I updated this so quickly was because of the fact that it's nearly over, please calm down I'm not rushing it, and because I want to write as much of my ideas down before they get stolen or I get accused of stealing story ideas. Also the title, well it's just an old expression roughly translated indicating gain and loss, so something bittersweet. So yep, same old Update soon and Enjoy seriously is that like my catchphrase or something ? Also yes I have changed my name, probably because I have a knack of bumping into coincidences of some kind with fellow authors. Anyways Enjoy.  
**

Meditation and day dreaming. To Saras they were one and the same, what was the actual difference supposed to be ?

Meditation was clearing he mind so you could focus on day dreaming.

Day dreaming was about using meditation to get a clear enough mind to think on as many subjects as possible.

Ok, not identical, but close enough. Chi had recommended meditating to try and keep thoughts of madness out. It was working, but not very effectively. He still had an itch at his clothing and a knack for forgetting important things, such as how many days had passed or what the time was. Nothing on the level of forgetting his name but it was still a freakishly huge problem for him,as he was naturally the type of person who wanted to have a good amount of knowledge at all times.

Day dreaming or meditation, or whatever he was doing was to him vastly unimportant. All he did was ponder on memories or trivial facts, such as what was for dinner or what Aang might be doing.

Chi was not a good good doctor would tell you that through company with civilized people a feral may be able to retain some normal symptoms, such as the wearing of clothes or the use of chopsticks. Saras and Chi were both inexperienced in the art of medicine, and so Chi had gone to the extreme opposite, leaving the kit alone in the woods by himself, while he went off doing whatever he was supposed to be doing.

That was another thing Saras sometimes wondered. What was Chi doing, building a boat, picking off leopards. He had a long list of things that the camel could be doing, but every time he asked the huge mammal all he got was a "You'll see", followed either by a good night or a goodbye. One time he must have been very annoying and the camel had dealt him a knockout slap with his hooves. He had woken with a bruise on either side of his head and with no knowledge or memory of what was going on.

A week had passed without deaths, had Chi not found him he would either be dead or a feral. He still had the strange whispers in his head, telling him to give in and accept who and what he was. Well, that was something he absolutely refused to do.

* * *

Weeper stood on the branch, glaring down at the fox beneath him, idiotically lying on his back and looking up into the tree he was hiding in, Weeper knew that the vulpine hadn't seen him, as he would probably have been running away to Chi if he had noticed anything out of the ordinary, like say a white leopard glaring down at you with a spear made out of bone held in his paws. He grinned evilly,before he heard a bit of a commotion, and decided to wait a while before attacking.

* * *

From the bushes behind the tree, down wind from Saras emerged the horns of Babirasu, his nostrils sniffing in the air for any sign of Bian Zao, the boar had been lost when some mad gazelle had burst in on their camp with a crossbow. And now the babirusa was after his friend, or at least the gazelle, just to see whether he was scared of fire. He saw much to his surprise.

* * *

"Kanbujian"?

The fox stood up as if struck by lightning, he had forgotten about the other survivors. He turned to find the babirasu staring blankly at him, then both their faces split into delighted grins.

Until the leopard clad in white slammed the babirasu to the ground, landing on his back. The female landed besides her brother and Long was the last to land, behind Saras.

"So Chi's little pet and his friend", Long drew two hooks from his belt, Weeper had a spear pressed to Babirasu's back of the neck and Song expanded two war fans, clearly made from polished black leather.

It was midday, or around midday anyways, Chi only came back at night, and calling for help in a jungle full of monsters was not a good idea. Saras was sure that there was no way out, or at least where all of them survived.

The scene was tense enough to feel, then Babirasu did something rather unexpected.


	15. Life Over Lava

**A/N: Cliffhanger reveal ? Sorry not yet, I have a few more loose ends I need to tie up for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

Bian Zao didn't stop for one second. Even though his legs were failing him he ran like never before, he soon foiund that he was too tired to run any further. He just hoped he had escaped thegazelle, panting he slid down against a tree trunk.

"It's only fun if you run", he heard the former captain's voice sing out. He panicked. Forgetting that this was a wood full of beasts he screamed much like anyone else in his position would.

"Help"!

* * *

Temutai shielded his face from the heat, it hurt to just look at the violent chaos below. A sea of ever turbulent fiery doom. It seemed to cry out with the torment of a thousand lost souls. He gulped.

"There is no way Irwin hid the crystal here". Fung complained.

"Then explain what they're doing over there",Taotie, in the face of fiery cataclysm seemed to regain his former professional composure. Pointing a hoof, that was no longer shaking with anxiety at the three Japanese foxes standing on a ledge below them. The vulpines were ignoring them completely for now, clearly intent on whatever else was on the same ledge. All three were wielding long blades, which Temutai wondered how they had gotten hold of. Suddenly one ran forwards and then what they were facing suddenly came back into view.

It was Wall Eye, smirking evilly as he held a long spear, it's head serrated with what seemed to be pieces of splintered wood.

The first fox didn't even lay a dent at the croc, his sword was thrown out of his trembling paws by the chief's spear, and before he could react he had his whole head inside the chief's jaws, it's teeth stabbing at the vulpine's neck as the croc shaked his mighty head from side to side, the rest of the body coming clean off and falling into the magma below. Wall Eye swallowed, much to the other two's horror.

Fung and Gahri were frozen with fear, but Taotie heard something that sent adrenaline rushing through his bloodstream. He raced down the side of the volcano full speed.

"Where are you going"?

"To save my son"!

Temutai shook his head, he had heard the boy's cry of help, but knew that with his hurt arm he would only be a hindrance to the boar.

For a moment Wall Eye was distracted by the shouting from above him, and that moment was used well by the second fox, the third frozen in pure horror. Swinging his blade in a circle, the vulpine slashed at the chieftain's armor,a huge chunk of the bone falling off. Stabbing forward the blade sunk deeply into the reptile, who found himself pushed against a wall, but not entirely out of the fight, he hurriedly wrapped his tail around the fox's paws, preventing the vulpine from drawing back, the crocodile swung with the fox halfway through a prayer of his. Gahri found himself vomiting into the pit of fire.

Temutai had had enough, he couldn't fight much anymore, what with his arm and a lack of any decent weaponry, but crying out loud some sort of war cry he leapt down, landing on one ledge followed by another, Fung leaping hurriedly after him, Gahri only a few seconds behind them both.

Ignoring that distraction the chief approached the fox, who let out a whimper falling to his knees. Wall Eye laughed mercilessly."Begging won't save ya foxy, ya might as well just kill ya-self"-

The fox threw the blade into his stomach, breathing deeply he pulled it across his abdomen. Before he cut himself fully in half he let out the only two words of Chinese he knew.

"Fuck you"!

Wall Eye practically snapped with fury, the impudent vulpine had robbed him of his kill, by killing himself. He kicked the lifeless corpse off of the ledge, the two parts sizzling as they hit the lava.

He ducked under a swing from a stick that looked like a club, before spinning and punching the large bovine full in the face. Temutai replied by headbutting him, Wall Eye furiously spun around, his powerful tail throwing the large mammal several feet away onto his back. He charged forwards the spear in hand ready to end the warrior's life then and there, when he hit something else. The spear went straight through Gahri, the thin croc had visible tears in his eyes, but his face seemed to show no regrets. The last words he ever said were eerily solemn.

"Not all stories have happy endings".

Wall Eye flung his spear aside the body falling into it's fiery tomb, burning solemnly and quietly.

The chief was furious, he had been robed of two kills in a row. He charged, ready to end the bovine's life once and for all. Fung charged faster and barreled into him, the two running straight off of the ledge.

"A croc as well"? The chief screamed in horror.

"Shut up! Just shut up ! Look into my eyes. I want these eyes to be the last thing you ever see, so look at me"!

Wall Eye stared at the smaller reptile's bright brown eyes, which burned with all the hatred of hell, and for the first and last time in his life, he was scared.

Temutai sat shocked at the ledge, Gahri had gave himself to save him. He wasn't sure why but he knew that the croc had always been a good man, and one who at least deserved a proper burial, wiping tears from his eyes Temutai stood would be time for mourning later on, but now he knew that Taotie would need his help.

* * *

"Hmm, I'm disappointed, what would your father say, you failed to escape, you only ran straight into your death, just like all cowardly fools, your realized too late that you can't run forever. Not from your destiny and not from your death, not from me".

Bian Zao didn't know why the gazelle didn't just do it already,it would be easier for him if he were to just die quickly, rather than have to suffer for longer. He mentally apologized to his father, but there was no way out of this, he was doomed, his cry for help had gone unheard.

"Stop being the coward and fight me here and now, if you have the guts".

Much to his shock the gazelle fell down from the tree he had been resting under.

"I accept your challenge".


	16. The Final Feast

Babirasu burst into flames, Weeper shrieked with pain and leapt clear off, his footpaws alight with the flame, kicking the ground so that the flame doused off, he was relieved for a short period of time, before he realized that he had jumped into a field of nettles. He screamed in pain as the plants stung at his feet. The babirusa stood up, the flames dissipating and amassing into two huge balls surrounding his hooves, which he curled into fists before clapping them together, the line of flame sent everyone flying out of range, Saras unfortunately included. The only one who managed to avoid the attack was Song, who landed, snarling her fans at the ready.

Babirasu outwardly released a smirk of confidence, but inside he was panicking, he had wasted a lot of his energy on the double attack, he probably had enough chi for about two or three more moves (but nothing too big), before he would need time to respite. And if he wasted it all on one powerful attack, well then he was out of juice. And this female seemed more than apt at avoiding his attacks. The flames dissipated, he would need them later on for sure. For now he could probably take the leopard without it anyways.

* * *

Saras ducked under a swipe, before propelling himself upwards into the treetops, Long in hot pursuit. Saras wasn't sure what his best plan was, the leopard knew the place better than him, and this time he wasn't injured, and this time he was also out for revenge, which was understandable, if not ideal. He did however still have his teleportation and shapeshifting, so the odds were more or less even.

* * *

He ducked under the knife that struck a tree with a deep thunk, the blade buried deeply into the wood. He had a rough idea of what he could do, but he wasn't really sure whether or not he could make it work, particularly since she had grown up on the island and he hadn't. Babirasu wasn't an expert on odds, but he knew that if he just retained his chi for long enough he could manage the leopardess, especially considering how swiftly the other one had gone down.

* * *

"Come out come out wherever you are".Saras heard Long snarl. He had hated hide and seek as a child, probably because Aang had always found him and had always said that he left a trail an elephant could follow. Now his most hated childhood pastime was coming back to haunt him with a vengeance in a far more sinister form.

"Fate what did I ever do to you"? He whispered up to the heavens.

He regretted that when the leopard kicked him past the tree and straight into another one, a distance of ten meters, this tree was also a really bad hiding place as the most cover it offered were it's sinister looking vines. Saras considered briefly morphing into a crane or dragon and just flying away, but Babirasu would then be left alone to deal with both felines, which was something he refused to let happen. No he would just have to stay alive until the perfect opportunity. Shifting into something smaller wouldn't do much harm though. After a flash of green all that was left of Saras was a small brown furred mouse who hurriedly scampered ever higher. Long timed the jump perfectly, his paws wrapping around a vine as he swung in Tarzan style, landing full tilt on the tree, his prey nowhere in sight, but after a quick sniff Long ascertained that the fox was still on the tree. He grinned,at least it was putting on a decent show.

* * *

Song lashed out with one of her fans, she had ran out of knives and was now fighting the babirusa close combat. She wasn't an expert on martial arts and clearly neither was he, but she had claws and he had horns, so it was a roughly even match, if it weren't for her fan she was certain he would be fighting offensive, but for now he was trying to stay out of range.

Babirasu had been raised by Mongols since the destruction of Piaoliang, it wasn't a great life seeing as the lord he lived under had eradicated his people, but he did have some friends, among them was a blind eagle named Jingkong, who had taught him how to harness his skills, which was impressive for a bird who's only real talent was archery and well, being a loud mouth. Jingkong had however taught him other stuff, among them a bit of basic Kung Fu that he had been itching to try out. He found the perfect opportunity.

He aimed a punch that missed her by inches, before spinning and sending her flying with a back kick to the gut. She had the bad luck to land bang splat in the middle of the river. She stood paddling afloat. She glared before releasing a taunt. "Would you really hit a girl"?

To his credit Babirasu had never meant to kill her, but he knew from the sounds of slipping that something else had just leapt into the river. The minute he heard her scream he closed his eyes and kept them shut tightly, not daring to look.

* * *

Saras stood as still as possible,it was hard to tell whether he was shaking, but he was sure that his heart which was pounding in his chest like some sort of tambourine, and he was also sure that by now it had given him away.

Instinct saved him as he rolled to the side, just as Long's hook stabbed at the place he had been resting on, the blade still protruding from the was on his feet just as the humongous leopard threw himself onto the branch, before lowering his weapon and cocking his head in surprise.

"Did you see a fox"?

Saras knew his stutter would give him away, so with as much courage as he could muster he said.

"W-what fox"?

"No fox"?

"N-nope none here. Heh-heh". He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. The leopard seemed to loosen up, before throwing himself at the mouse pinning Saras to the branch with one foot, simultaneously pressing the air out of him.

"Funny, because you smell just like him".

Saras shifted into a dragon, releasing a spurt of flame, causing the leopard to release it's grip on him.

"What are you"!?

"I am, a sh-shapeshifter of the J-Jit Kun c-clan". Oh well, it had sounded better in his head after all.

"You're dead meat".  
Saras ducked and dodged as the feline furiously swiped at the surrounding flora, cutting a great deal of the vines in the process.

The fox suddenly had a good idea for an escape. Grabbing a vine he leapt onto another and then another. Long however must have anticipated this and swinging his hooks in such a way he managed to tangle the vulpine in a net of botany. Grinning he swiped madly, not looking as he cut left and right.

Saras was gripped with a burning rage and found himself throwing himself in the net, trying to grab the leopard and tear him to shreds. All the meditation had been for nothing, Blood Diamond was back.

"Now die"!

What with the shaking net and the preexistent swiping Long cut off most of the vines, including the one he had been holding, both him and Saras fell, but the leopard never hit the ground, writhing in midair he found that the vines had somehow tangled around his neck, he was virtually hanging himself a few inches off of the ground.

Saras noticed this, but when he stood up to help the feline ruthlessly kicked him away, snarling vicously.

"Don't touch me ! Watch out in the afterlife, I will remember your face..." the noose tightened around his neck as he continued writhing, simultaneously kicking at the vulpine whenever he tried to get close enough to help. His last word was choked out, but still as clear as hell itself. "Forever"!

After a while the leopard went limp and Saras stood staring at his dead body, once again disgusted by himself. Then he remembered Babirasu and turned, looking back only once to see the feline's peaceful face.

* * *

Saras found Babirasu walking along the river, he had made it to some sort of cliff, not greatly huge, but big enough to knock anyone who fell down it out cold. He could tell the babirusa was upset, and that it was probably to do with the bloody broken up limbs getting chewed on by crocs that he had noticed a bit more upriver. He placed a paw on the larger mammal's shoulder.

"I-it's not y-your f-f-ault". The fox had said exactly what he knew the babirusa would have wanted to hear. He would have enjoyed seeing his reaction, but they were rudely interrupted by a pair of pure white paws that wrapped around the backs of their necks and lifted them bodily into the air.

"Where's my sister"? Weeper asked, his eyes burning with a mixture of hatred and sorrow.

Babirasu threw a ball of flame into his face, forcing the feline to let go. Babirasu landed on the edge, Saras fell straight into the water. Without a moment's hesitation Babirasu jumped in after.

* * *

 _Footnote: Yes my third in a row cliffhanger,rather more literal here as it is literally involved with a cliff. Anyways the 'death by crocodiles' was the invention of Mind Jack and maybe Berserker88, who is also credited on the dreams, the walking on all fours, the forgotten name, the feral kill and pretty much every single manifestation of ferality. So really it's the two of them whom you owe most if not all the sweet little details that make stories like this so special.  
_

 _Enjoy and Update soon._


	17. A Candle

Bian Zao threw himself tusks first into the gazelle, who at the last moment moved to the side the young boar receiving a nasty knock against a tree for all his troubles. Meanwhile Shu Tiao was bringing on the pain bit by bit.

"No wonder your father never mentions you. You're pathetic"."

Bian Zao reeled around his arms swinging wildly, none of his blows even came close to the captain.

"Do you want to know what I learned about myself on this island. I like pain in fact I love it".

"Get ready to feel it then", Bian Zao once again charged, this time swinging to the left so that he caught the escaping gazelle. Bian Zao was the son of a boatman, the sea had made him strong and Shu Tiao was a naturally thin person, who had lost even more weight from lack of food. Bian Zao therefore had no problem whatsoever in lifting him by his feet and slamming him repeatedly against a the third slam he felt a sharp pain on his left shoulder as Shu Tiao stabbed at it with one of his wooden stakes. The boar yelled in pain as he was kicked aside, his face receiving a lot of bruises from the gazelle's kicks, until he was just lying there, tears streaming freely down his eyes as he was kicked again and again non stop. Until his kicker was punched across the face with the force of a hammer, one only paternal instinct could supply.

Taotie stood over his hurt son, glaring at his former captain with unchecked hatred. Shu Tiao glared icily back.

"Like father like son, both like moths to a flame. You're clever. You are unarmed and were my subordinate for several years, even when we both had weapons I beat you to a pulp, so imagine how easy it will be to end you now, unarmed in a jungle I have mapped over and over in my head."

"Yeah well"- Taotie had no ready answer so he just continued to glare furiously at Shu Tiao.

"Well at least now I can make you both suffer, as I force you to watch each other die", he erupted into a mad cackle, Taotie just looked at him with a look that read, 'what the hell happened to this guy'? He had no idea how he was supposed to beat thjis guy, even if he had threatened to kill him and his son, that was when Taotie passed boiling point.

* * *

Chi slammed the end of the Tri bo yao into the face of the approaching bull, before stepping aside and throwing a halberd, which the bovine caught.

"You me, here now. Fight."

Temutai looked at him.

"Say what now ? Hasn't there been enough death"?

"No".

"What the hell, no! No! more like yes! There have been too much", he was thrown against a tree by the camel.

"I have been wanted by the law since I was this small",Chi indicated his knee,which Temutai thought wasn't particularly small, in fact it was taller than a few people he knew.

"Are you paying attention ! I have been hunted since I was a child. You are one of them"

"I'm Imperial Army, big deal, we're both stuck on an island where"- he was slapped right across his muzzle.

"Fine don't fight, I'll just kill you", and with that Chi swung his weapon in an arc at the bovine, who hastily threw himself to the side.

* * *

"Wake up dozzychops. It's time to quit snoring", Saras woke up to a small trickle of cool water sprinkled across his face. He opened his eyes groggily, clutching the space at the very top of his head inbetween his ears. It hurt a lot.

"No bump, but it should hurt for a while, I was worried you were going to stay asleep and then you start snoring".

"I do not snore".

"Clearly you don't stutter either".

"I d-do".

"Only when someone mentions stuttering. You, my friend, need a boost in confidence. I used to stutter"-

Saras raised an eyebrow.

"Ok I didn't, but I know how to cure one, just think happy thoughts and see where they take you".

"Aha. W-where are w-we again"?

"See you're already improving"-

"A-answer the qu-question and don't j-jinx it".

"We are in a island, which is just a giant cave. There are minute signs of civilization, such as that well, and a few doors, but most of them don't open, and when I try kicking down that door,", he pointed at one that had two recently lit torches besides it. "Some strange voice shippers from behind it".

Saras nodded.

"So right now our best plan would be to swim out through the not yet, for now you need rest".

Saras shook himself and stood up awkwardly on his feet.

"I'm not a b-baby. It's a b-bruise. I-I g-get them a l-lot".

"Lucky you I guess".

The two then tried very hard to swim against the current several minutes later, the two were back where they started, only now they were dripping wet and slapping water out of their ears, it was far worse for Saras, who envied the babirusa, with his small ears, not like his giant ones he had that practically commanded water to flow into them. And now his bruise hurt worse than ever.

"Well, no hope in getting out that way", Babirasu said. "So, the doors".

They both marched towards them, Babirasu lashed out with a series of kicks,and then an icy voice spoke out in a childish and careless tone.

 _"What is tall when it's young"-_

"A c-candle", Saras said without hesitation.

 _"Finally"!_ The voice exlaimed. _"That pig took forever to guess what the riddle meant"._

Before Babirasu could say that he wasn't a pig the door slid open, and the pair walked in.

It was a vast room filled with golden jewelry, pearls that shone white, glorious red rubies, more treasure than any eye could behold at one time. The room shone with the gold,but Babirasu decided that a little light was overdue. He threw two hoof fulls of flame at the walls, the fire trickling across until it found a torch, which soon blazed alive and the whole room glowed with spleandour. Babirasu began filling his pockets with the gold and other ornaments, Saras only went out searching for his birthright.

But gripped with curiosity the fox couldn't help himself. "H-how did you d-do that ? W-with the f-fire"?

"Well,", he stood their awkwardly as the fox tried to stare into his mind.

"Well, it's like with you and your shapeshifting isn't it ? Chi control. Now can we focus on finding Bei"-

"H-how do you know about that"?

"That what"?

"The shapeshifting ? And the g-gem", then Saras turned his face into a delighted grin. He leapt onto the babirusa's neck and wrapped his paws around him. "You're like me, a-aren't y-you",he said, jumping up and down with excitement, the taller mammal pushing him awkwardly away.

"Yes I am a Jit Kun", somehow the babirusa seemed less than happy about this.

"I-isn't that good n-news ? M-more of us s-survived c-clearly. You can come to my home", as the excitement took over the stuttering seemed to stop. Babirasu was right all it needed were happy thoughts."All this time I thought it was just me and Aang"-

"Who"?

"My brother. Look I know this may come as a shock but I have a brother who happens to be a bat and a fellow Jit Kun".

Babirasu seemed even more awkward about this."Look Kanbu, I can't go back because well, I was raised by M-mongols".

The smile vanished from Saras' face as he threw himself at the babirusa, who grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and kept him out of hitting distance.

"Those brutal barbarians who murdered my village! Our village actually!"

Another cure to a temporary stutter is absolute fury.

"Look I know it's hard to understand but"-

"Why ?" Saras said almost pleadingly. Then he noticed the look of horror on the Babirasu's face. And turned around midair. His own look of terror made the two look almost identical.

"Oh"- Saras whispered.

"-Crap".Babirasu finished.

"I was going to say 'dear'", the vulpine muttered, before both ran straight towards the door.


	18. Fight or Flight ?

The beast that had frightened them was a long lizard, it's scales shimmering a bright blue, red lining it's eyes, nostrils, lips anything that you could go 's back consisted of several plates of more blue, though a bit darker, from which popped out at neat intervals spines of pure black, dripping in dark liquid that oozed like oil. It was rather fat however, but that didn't seem to make it any friendlier.

 _"So which hole shall seal your fate"?_ It cooed in the reptilian voice. Saras felt stupid. Obviously someone or something had said the riddle. Then again the fact that it could talk was more or less not. Both were at the doorway in five seconds,but before both could slam into the beast's face it had crashed into the door, and the two were pushing at the thin wooden frame, trying to keep whatever it was supposed to be outside.

 _"My name is Mr Ree and when you see me you know you're history"_. It snorted through the small gap the children had thus far failed to close completely. Saras found himself staring into it's blood red eye, then directed his vision somewhere else.

As said before, Saras had a grudge against fate, but for the first time ever it seemed to smile upon him. There was the thing he had been looking for, the Crystal of Bei, his birthright as a Jit Kun. Instead of pushing the door closed he now tried to pull it further open.

"What are you doing"?! Babirasu shrieked, now dealing with the beast and Saras's combined strength, though the fox didn't make much difference.

Saras snapped, he had had enough of the babirusa, this creature Mr whatever, he thought in his fury, seemed more friendly than the mongol bred traitor.

"I don't care if you're not proud to be a Jit Kun, but I am and that", he threw a paw into the gap, pointing at the gem, before hastily withdrawing it as Mr Ree tried to clamp down on his paw,"is my birthright, and I don't plan on letting it slip away and stay in a cavern with some smelly reptile"!

Babirasu was unable to keep the door shut and instead threw it open, stunning the huge lizard for a few moments of shock. Saras was more than ready for the charging reptile who he leapt over, letting it get distracted by the much larger babirusa as he raced towards the gem.

He never got that far as he soon found himself falling under in a river of coins that seemed to flow, he was up to his chest already, it seemed that Mr Ree whatever he was supposed to be had laid a few traps around the place. Fate really did like tormenting him.

* * *

Taotie had never had a worse beating in his life. He had a black eye, his mouth was dripping with blood and the side of his face looked like it had received a blow from a hammer. Shu Tiao on the other hand was utterly unscathed,in fact the gazelle seemed oddly to be taking pleasure from the boar's pitiful condition.

"You truly are the worst fist fighter I have ever seen". He withdrew a shining round metal Frisbee,a clear circular hole in the center. He pressed it lightly against Bian Zao's throat, blood already flowing from the cut."Shall we make this more interesting"?

* * *

Chi whirled the tri bo yao in full cycle around his head, seemingly oblivious to the bovine's ridiculously far off swings, which missed him by inches over and over again. As Temutai swung the halberd at the camel's chest,Chi brought his own weapon in a downward arc, striking the buffalo a hefty blow to the face.

"Hmm, you're not the strongest I've fought, but it seems you have too much of the will to live to be an easy that only makes it more fun for me", he smirked, Temutai rising weakly,only to be knocked down again. The buffalo snorted, he would need a better plan than this.

* * *

Babirasu ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He wasn't very light on his feet, but couldn't be called slow either. The reptile itself seemed to be unable to cope with his speed, diminished as it was.

Mr Ree as it called itself, was a beast not known to many due to their extreme rarity. He was a Nian. It was rare to see any of them these days, probably because the Nian were all different. Lion like beasts of the mountains, squid like fish in the sea, lizards like him that were fat and rather round. No, the Nian was the reject of all all had, in all it's varieties, one thing in common however. A fear of loud noises and the colour a complete phobia of fire.

Babirasu didn't know this, but he was linked to flames since his Naming Day, it was how he lived. By the fire.

Wheeling around Babirasu threw himself under the reptile, the foolish beast running straight over him and leaping away, only to turn around and realize that the creature it had been hunting was already running away. Babirasu was close enough to smell victory, he had decided that the only way out was through the well, well running for it he found his hoof caught in the reptile's jaws. Spinning around he threw a bolt of flame, it seemed to make no difference to the lizard itself, but it was now panicking, it's eyes widening in horror as it let go and began running for the gold mine. Babirasu limped after it smirking at his own genius, slamming the door behind him. Then he remembered that Kanbujian, Saras , Kanbu, Shifty, whatever-his-real-name-was was still in their.

* * *

Saras shifted into a mouse faster than ever coming free from the gold, now using his small size to his advantage, hopping from one coin to another until he had reached the gem. Bei shone with an emerald green he remembered all too well,smiling he shifted back into a fox and placed the crystal into his pockets. Now time to make his getaway. That was when he realized that he had been locked in with Mr Ree, who now seemed like fire was the last thing on it's mind.

 _"Which hole shall do it"?_ The beast cooed, wriggling it's tail around in pure anticipation, Saras gulped audibly.


	19. What Must be Done

Saras was sent flying across the room by a swipe of the powerful reptilian tail. He teleported towards the door just as the Nian sunk it's teeth into the thin air he had been a few minutes ago, Saras kicked at the door several times, panicking completely.

"Open up"! He cried slamming at it as hard as he could.

Babirasu was trying to open it up, but it seemed that the babirusa's feeble attempts to barge it down were only causing him severe pain on his shoulder. Saras turned just in time to duck a swipe from the beast's claws, slamming his fist into it's throat as he ran under it,escaping into the gold filled cavern. Saras began searching for another way out, this would probably been easier if it weren't for the fact that he had not even a moment of respite from the creature who seemed madly intent on eating him, though for once Saras was sure he wasn't going to be swallowed whole.

* * *

Taotie and his son had had an estranged relationship ever since the boar's mother had died. Taotie had lost his wife, and had, to stop the grief overflowing him, turned to creating things. Bian Zao however went the other way and had stopped taking interest in anything whatsoever. So he hadn't been the best parent, that didn't mean he didn't love his son, and now was the time he showed it.

He caught the hoof that held the Frisbee with both of his pulling it away from his son. Shu Tiao, laughing mirthlessly lashed out with his other hoof, punching the boar repeatedly on the side of the head. Bian Zao, after the tenth punch, managed to grab hold of the gazelle's other arm and held it back as the two Imperial Army soldiers grappled for the metal Frisbee. Even with both his arms and his back pushing, Taotie was still unable to pull the weapon off of his former captain.

Shu Tiao was beginning to loose his amusement, now he just felt like ending it. He lashed out with his feet, kicking the boar in the chest, despite this Taotie held fast, gritting his teeth.

The gazelle pulled his arm off of Bian Zao's grip and punched the father across the snout, hitting it once again across the head, glaring Taotie let go of the Frisbee and charged the gazelle, slamming his former captain to the ground, the weapon flying through the air, before dropping evilly towards both mammals. Bian Zao grabbed hold of his father by the back and pulled him rapidly off of the gazelle, who drew a knife.

"Di-"!His last words were cut short by the metallic Frisbee that cut his throat in half.

Bian Zao looked away,disgusted, and all Taotie could do was try and comfort him as best as he could.

"There there son, it's almost over. Sometimes there are things you've got to do, and this was one of them. Now let's go before someone else looses their son".

Bian Zao was relieved, for once his dad wasn't lame, and now it seemed they were getting off of this accursed island.

* * *

Saras weaved away from the beast, letting it ruin straight into a wall. He had no pity on the beast, whom he decided was not reasonable at all, in fact it seeemed mopre feral than a lot of the things he had seen on the island. He was slammed against the ground, but got back up and rolled out of the way just in time, as the beast snapped it's powerful jaws on a trophy, which cut the gleaming goblet in half.

Saras was beginning to think that maybe he could just outrun the thing forever, when he tripped on a long pearl necklace, strewn out across the floor, rolling on his back he soon found a scaly clawed hand on his chest,m pressing on his ribs, woah this creature certainly weighed a lot. Then he heard a voice whisper in his head.

I'll take over.A familiar voice whispered in his head. He was filled with fury, but somehow managed to control it .He needed to keep a level head over here.

 _"So which hole shall seal your fate"_ , the reptile asked for the last time, fangs flashing, and then Saras understood it. A hole on each of it's teeth in exact position, as if someone had tried to stab them off with a cone.

* * *

Both Chi and Temutai were now covered in blood. The camel because he was always bleeding and the bovine because, well the camel had made him bleed.

"I have worked with the triads, believe me they may be the biggest gang in China, but they are the worst. But there are a few interesting traditions. They would kill an enemy with one hundred cuts to their body. You have recieved fifty four. Don't worry your torment shall not go on for much longer, I'll make sure to miss anything major". He chuckled mirthlessly, slamming the center staff of the tri bo yao into the bovine's snout, before bringing the other two points to his throat, the chain wrapping around it completely, leaving him in a choked at it and tried to pull it away, but the camel kneed him several times on the chest, making sure that the bovine coughed up a bit of blood.

"Then again there are more fun traditions", Chi withdrew a torch, which he lit in spectacular fashion, before thropwing it at Temutai, who used every skill he had to avoid the flame, which connected to a tree instead.

Only the heavens knew what was on that tree for it went upin flames in five seconds flat, Chi himself gazing shocked at the plant.

It was a thin tree, one that would only take a swing of an axe to chop. Temutai all of a sudden had a very good idea. Bringing the hammer down on the tree it collapsed on the camel, too dumbfounded to realize what was going on.

Chi shrieked in pain, but still managed to choke out before he succumbed to the fire.

"By the river is your freedom, as for mine, well death is a kind of freedom"! He then erupted into a series of yowls and cries of pain, before he was burnt to cinders.

One of China's greatest crime lords had died that night. Needless to say he had went out like a light.

* * *

Saras did the only thing he could think of, punching at the beast hedrew blood from his own paw, which he hurriedly licked, then he succumbed to the Ree was for a moment too stunned to notice what the fox had done. that was his biggest and most fatal mistake.

* * *

 _Footnote: I bring to you, my dear reader, the actual version of my next chapter, I apologize for the pornographic shit that appeared last time, apparently my password wasn't entirely foolproof._

 _Enjoy and Update soon._


	20. What a Friend Must do

Completely loosing himself in his feral born fury Saras remembered nothing after that. The last thing he did remember was the taste of his own warm blood, and the desire to taste more. Mr Ree was momentarily stunned, and Saras used that moment to bite hard on his lower jaw, his teeth sinking in deep into the flesh, drawing more of the crimson liquid. Howling in rage the lizard shook him off, or at least tried to. Normally Saras would have come loose in five seconds, but now, in his hateful; condition he found new strength, something he had never knew he had. Eventually the fox did come off, but it came off with quite a bit of the nin's lower jaw still attached. Now furious Mr Ree and Saras circled each other, snarling and snapping like a pair of dogs.

* * *

The Art of The Flaming Fist was arguably Babirasu's favorite move,even if it was his most taxing one. His hooves ignited, and he seemed to be filled with new strength, before he lashed out with several hundred punches. It was only after ten minutes of this that Babirasu realized it wasn't exactly working. The door had sealed a Nian shut for only the heavens knew how long, and he thought that his puny flames could break it down. He glared at the wooden object, now alight with his own flame. it opened on hinges, maybe if he melted the hinges off. Smirking he once again inflamed his hooves, before striking at the poor door with his fists.

* * *

If anyone was in the cavern at that moment, they would probably have either said that the fox had some guts to go toe to toe with a Nian at least six times it's size, either that or they would have said he was dead, gone finished kaput. But it was not so, for the Nian was a bulky beast not designed for agility or speed, which is exactly what the fox was skilled at. Moving to the side, hackles raised, Saras was making himself look quite a terror, if it weren't for it's greater size than the Nian would probably have been running away, instead they both stood their ground waiting for the other to strike first, which neither really wanted to do considering the state of the other.

* * *

Babirasu had never melted metal before, and it was a painstaking process, keeping his hoof alight and directly below the metal. Still he had already gotten rid of the first hinge, now all he needed was to get rid of the second one.

He never got the chance.

"Hey, flame pig"! Babirasu turned just in the nick of time to avoid the blow, which sent the door flying off it's bottom hinge. Weeper next lashed out with a punch, which was caught in one of the Babirasu's hooves.

"What are you doing here"? Was all he could think of saying.

"I needed to make sure you were dead". Then he noticed that Saras and the Nian were still circling each other.

"He's got some balls doesn't he"? Babirasu turned and was sent into the cavern with a kick to the side. He rolled onto his back, glaring like a basilisk.

The Nian lashed out with one of it's claws, which connected with the wall, it yowled in pain as it's claws bent back, seeing an opening Saras leapt forward sinking his jaws into the beast's neck, drawing blood as he pawed at it, his claws tearing at it's unprotected scales.

Mr Ree was not feral, but he was mad enough to do something utterly stupid. He ran his side straight into a wall, Saras was now crushed inbetween the stone of the cavern and the unforgiving scales of the reptile. Whimpering as he tried and failed to push it off. Babirasu heard his plight and threw a bolt of flame at the beast, who recoiled, mortally petrified. Babirasu's help had earned the babirusa a slap to the face.

"Focus pig! It's only fun if you fight back"! Weeper laughed clearly enjoying himself. Saras now lay stunned, he was beginning to feel the effects of Blood Diamond wearing off and now he was utterly exhausted. He closed his eyes as the Nian approached snarling like the beast it was.

Weeper threw the 'pig' to the floor. "You are utterly pathetic. How in the world did you kill Song"? Somehwo the leopard seemed less than sad at his siblings' death.

Babirasu lashed out with a volley of flames that missed completely, or at least that's what it looked like.

"Do you mind if"- His sentence was cut short as he leapt in the pair screaming in pain, clutching what was left of his tail, the other three quarters twitching underneath the stalactite that had dropped from crash it made seemed to shake the whole island, and before anyone knew what was going on the whole cavern was being bombarded by the rocks from the air the spear-like points snapping up the treasure's in half or worse.

That was how Mr Ree met his demise a spear like rock through the back, he crashed to the ground in front of Saras,who was too weak to do anything about it, bombarded as he was by exhaustion and the falling rocks, and the Nian's foul breath as he breathed his last.

Babirasu noticed that the leopard was distracted and went straight for the fox, his blind sprint almost killing him as he was scraped by innumerable spikes, all somehow failing to kill or even rip a limb off of him, he truly had the luck of the devil. Snatching up the fox. saras knew now why the Babirasuuy was helping him. To prove that just because they weren't friends, didn't mean they had to be enemies, this thought forced a rather poignant smile to come on his turned for the exit only to receive a punch to the face. Weeper had caught up to him. Still grinning the feline raced across the room jumping out the door just as a stalactite slammed itself in front of it. Babirasu was up on his feet and in hot pursuit in no time.

But he came too late.

* * *

Weeper didn't know how Long had died, all he knew was that the fox had been there, he had been the cause of his brother's demise. Picking up a rock that lay nearby he slammed it on the vulpine's head as hard as he could, then again, then again.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye"! He raised the rock one last time and smashed it against Sara' skull one last time.

There was a resounding crack. Saras blinked, blood was flowing into his had to stay awake, he had to stay awake, he had to stay awake...

His thoughts trailed off as the world turned black.


	21. The Aftermath

**A/N: Well this story is coming to a close, this is the penultimate chapter. I guess it's where I finally put what happened to rest. So I thank you in advance for reading. Enjoy.**

Saras opened his eyes with a crack, then he blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the light, it was a single candle placed on the table to his had truly never felt worse. His head felt like it had been split in half, which he reminded himself,it probably had, his eyes felt like they had been closed for ages,and the sheer effort it took to stare with them seemed to take more energy than five hundred marathons. Judging from the rocking of the room he was supposed to be on some sort of boat, or just some really good representation of one.

He heard the sound of hooves stomping down the nose had not picked up Bian Zao's scent, that was a good sign, he was most likely off the island. The young boar looked like he had been dragged through a meat grinder backwards, but still seemed cheerful, he had a black eye, a couple of bandages around his throat, most of his torso was purple from some sort of bruise. And one of his ears flopped a little, like a dead leaf. He was holding what appeared to be a cup of tea, but actually turned out to be boiled water.

Saras tried and failed to drink anything. in his frail condition.

"No tea leaves", the boar commented. Then shook his head. "Still better than nothing".

You couldn't really blame Saras for cutting to the chase, after all one does not normally get his skull cracked and wakes up to find himself in the company of friends. "W-what happened"? He coughed weakly. The last thing he remembered was the sickening crack as the stone had fallen on his head.

"Well I'm not really sure. You know the babirusa, well apparently the guy swam all the way from the -what's it called- you know the island cave thing ? Well he carried you through the water and dropped you off to Temutai, then said he had to leave. Any idea what he was talking about ?"

"N-not really". Saras admitted.

"Well anyways Temutai found this old wreck"-

"H-how"? Saras asked, for one does not normally find a seaworthy boat in the middle of nowhere.

"Well all he said was that freedom was by the river, and then he found this and"-

"What a-about you"?

"Yeah, that was Shu Tiao, trust me dad's worse and don't even get me started on Temutai, that bufallo's traumatized, but we'll live I guess"

"W-what about the crocs"?

"Temutai won't say what happened. And my dad says it's best not to ask about it".

So it seemed, noone had escaped unscathed.

"And you ? You were half dead when we found you"?

Saras remembered the giant lizard, the leopard, Babirasu and his flame throwing, the cavern of treasure, the collapsment, Mr Ree's death, him going feral, the taste of blood in his mouth."Wellllllllllllllllllll,I guess it's best n-not to ask about it".

This earned him a light slap on his nose.

* * *

Saras found Temutai at the stern on the boat. The bufallo looked sick and seemed for once not in a good mood, he stood there staring into empty space. The fox was still weak, but he figured that the bovine's condition was in some ways worse than his.

"Hey b-big guy". He said, lightly tapping his hip (which was the part of him easiest to reach). Temutai remained silent. Saras had already guessed he wouldn't be himself. Still he might as well come to terms with his own struggle.

"L-loook, whatever you d-did, w-whatever you s-saw, it's not your f-fault"- The bovine patted his head with one of his hooves, his left one, the other was merely a sling on his torso. Saras wished he hadn't as it hurt like hell, even with some sort of poultice placed on his injury.

"You don't need to tell me what I already know"

"A-and what is it you a-already kn-know"?

"That island was fucking messed up", he chuckled dryly, gripping the fox lightly by the ears, in what he thought was an affectionate manner, but Saras thought was some kind of cruel torture method.

Yep, the vulpine thought, Temutai was going to be fine.

* * *

"Son"? Taotie called out from the wheel of the boat, being the only one of the quartet with both hands still working, even if his face looked like it had been trod on by an elephant. Bian Zao trudged over to his father.

"What is it dad"?

Taotie looked at the two staring into space on the stern. Right at the front of the ship, the sun setting beneath the calm waves. Now was the perfect time for his hardest struggle yet, an apology he had taken far too long in saying.

"Look son, almost loosing you back there, made me realize that you're more than just my- um how should I put it- creation ?"

Bian Zao raised an eyebrow, ok that wasn't going great so far.

"You're my wife's son,you're my son and I've been sort of a lousy dad". He scratched the back of his head nervously. Bian Zao looked him straight in the eye.

"It's ok dad".

"Good".

"Yep".

"Perfect".

"Yeah".

"I'm actually really gla"-

"Dad, can I just watch the sun set for now ? Can't we do the whole explanation thing later ? Cause right now would be kind of lame".

"Sure son".

The four all stared at the horizon, the colours spreading out across the sky, it was almost .

* * *

 _Footnote: Only the basic plot left to go now, one more chapter and Update soon. Also the stern is the back of the boat. Don't worry Babirasu's part won't be missed out.  
_


	22. So What Have I Told You So Far

**A/N: Well here it is,the final chapter of a story that has taken me I don't know how long I don't even really know. Anyways, this chapter concludes what happened to who and the basic plot. I generally say that my stories are 'rough rides' in the end but this has reached new levels. My account was hacked and someone posted porn, I deleted and changed two chapters, believe me I thought that would never happen. Also you will notice that the basic plot has been spoilerized. So don't read if you haven't read the story. So Enjoy.**

* * *

"What were you thinking when you said you were ready for your next mission, your skull isn't even fixed yet"? Saras stared at the minute form of his brother Aang, the bat's wings on his hips staring at him blankly in a state of pure lack of understanding."You also failed your last one, and don't even mention the gem, because quite frankly that's not what you were supposed to do".Aang had always been rather strict around what should be done and what shouldn't, but ever since Lord Shan had died and left him with a good deal of the power of the organization it seemed that he had doubled this trait.

"Well, I think I could be really useful"-

"You're not useful dead. And that's exactly what you'll be if I let you out of this cave"!

"Well, then don't let me go alone"-

"Well sorry but noone's available. By the way are you sure the babirusa's dead"?

Saras knew it was a way to change the subject, and he answered the same way he always did."Yes".

"Hmm, do you have anyone in mind"?

At this point Saras knew he had won the argument. He looked towards the doors ,marked with numbers, his eyes fell on the number five.

"The Wu sisters"?

"Hmm, and you're sure about Japan, I mean it is an unanimous tip off,probably a wild goose chase".

"Well, those are pretty much the only kind".

Aang cocked his head thoughtfully. "I'll think about it".

Saras knew that he had won for sure, now he couldn't help walking with a spring in his step.

* * *

"Nothing but jewels. Pearls! What is the point of pearls"-

Babirasu looked on in bored amusement as the horse paced around him stomping as hard as he could on the few items he had brought back from the Feral Islands.

"These are the contents of the Silver Fang vaults ? Ridiculous! Do not lie to me pig"

"Tengtong calm down. Firstly he's not a pig, secondly why would he lie to us"?

That came from Jingkong, the eagle who had practically raised him, despite his blindness he was one of Mongolia's finest archers.

"Because he was one of them"!

"Nurture beats nature you idiot"-

"Shut up, he lies, and what about the shapeshifter, your 'friend'"?

Babirasu answered the same way he always did. "The beast ripped off his head and swallowed his body, if he were still alive he'd be here to serve you"-

"Nonsense, why would he come here"?

"For years you think you're the last of your kind, then you hear that there are more of you. Imagine his excitement".

Tengtong snorted then looked away and walked out, muttering on big mistakes and the like.

"He'll know soon enough. The shapeshifters not dead is he"? Jingkong knew him best.

"Well do you think we have the power to raid China ? So the best idea for now would be to pretend he's dead and then kill him and any like him when China falls into Lord Temujin's hand".

Jingkong knew he wasn't speaking from his heart,but cared too much to press on."Very well, I'm going to bed", and with that he flew across the walls of the palace of ice.

Babirasu had lied, he knew that one day the mongols would return to China, that was why he had laid the tip off for the Xue gem with the Bat Cave, he knew that all he could do was help from behind, and in the end pray that all he loved would not fall. Jingkong and Saras especially. The eagle for being a good friend, the fox for well being like him.

* * *

 **Basic Plot:**

 **The story starts with a narration of the feral islands and a brief explanation as to what's going to happen. The next chapter is the death of a breif character. Saras is a young fox blessed with the powers of shapeshifting and teleportation. Having been raised in a criminal organization that has begun changing rapidly he is sent on his first mission, to steal information on the war with Japan over Korea, he is returning to China in the Horizon a ship that holds a father and son duo, a scary gazelle and a rather annoying crew of the horizon are attacked by a band of barbarians, mainly five leopards whom Saras grows to hate,who take them captive to an island far off the coast of China, hidden in mist.**

 **There they meet other captives (three foxes a slow lorris, two argumentative crocs and a rather-tooo-cherful babirusa) who briefly explain what the Kucha plan to do with them. Essentially it's a sort of coming of age ceremony that shows how much there tribe have advanced, the aim being to get possession of a precious gem. One night after the food stores run out the marble house the survivors inhabit is raided by members of the Kucha tribe,who kill Tong Fo. Separated the survivors left remaining all arrive at the Isle of the Damned, an island that seems to drive people feral.**

 **A group of survivors consisting of the bufallo Temutai, the boar father Taotie, and the crocs known as Fung and Gahri are raided by one of them,the gazelle known as Shu Tiao because he has already gone crazy. Saras is almost eaten by an eagle and then, much to his own horror kills two of the leopards. He soon finds that he is going feral faster than normal, walking on all fours and not noticing that pieces of his clothing have gone is explained soon enough by Chi a rather odd camel that he has a particular technique infused within him called Blood Diamond, one that makes people temporarily feral. While Chi is away he is attacked by leopards and is helped by Babirasu. Two of the felines go down, one to crocodiles the other to a hanging tree, but both survivors end up falling through a river, and drifting off into an island cave.**

 **The rest have by now reached a volcano where they see the Japanese foxes getting hacked to pieces before their very eyes. A long drawn out fight scene ensues between them, but Taotie leaves early due to hearing the cries of help coming from his son. Fung and Gahri both go down, but they take Wall Eye, the cruel chief of the Kucha, with them. Taotie finds his son being beaten by Shu Tiao, he leaps in and after a fray ends the gazelle's life. Temutai, on the way to helping him, bumps into Chi, who demands that they fight, after getting his ass kicked around he finally manages to beat the camel, who gives him the secret of escaping the island, a boat hidden on the river side.**

 **Meanwhile Saras and Babirasu find themselves in a cavern filled with gold, where they meet the Nian Mr Ree, who sets out to kill the both of them. After dodging the beast off Saras finds the gem which will grant him freedom, which also happens to be his birthright as a Jit Kun, Babirasu also discovers that the Nian is scared of fire, though he accidentally locks the beast in the same cavern as Saras. There the fox finally embraces his feral state,if only to save himself, he manages to put up a pretty good impression of himself, as the Nian refuses to attack for a while. Eventually the last leopard and Babirasu burst in, the two's fight causing the cavern to more or less collapse. The leopard manages to grab the fox, smashing the vulpine's skull with a rock, before he is killed by Babirasu, who also slew the Nian, one of the stalactites he made fall stabs the beast through the heart. Saras is delivered half dead to the remaining survivors, who manage to mend the skull a bit, even if it would take months for it to heal completely, the fox would live.**

 **Saras wakes up alive if not exactly well, on the boat Chi had revealed the location of. Taotie and Bian Zao fix their rather constrained relationship. In the end Babirasu and Saras are seen, being told off by their respective 'families', neither really revealing the other's existence claiming that they both died.**

* * *

 _Footnote: Ok so this story is over, but the tale is not. The whole conversation with Aang was a foreboding of The Heist of the Jit Kun Crystal:Xue and Babirasu's conversation was a foreboding of the story that is as of now officially off the bench, Mongol Wars Part I and others which I won't name here.  
_

 _So finally my out of ten ten being the highest. I thoroughly thank you all for reading and especially to Mind Jack and Berserker88 whom both reviewed and helped in the process of creating this story._

 _Enjoy and Update soon._


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